Abstract
Sarcophyton subviride Tixier-Durivault, 1958 (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Octocorallia: Alcyonacea), a soft coral, is reported for the first time from Indian waters. This species has previously been recorded from Aldabra Island and Reunion. Despite being the third record in the Indian Ocean, this is the first occurrence from Great Nicobar Island in the Andaman Sea. The diagnostic features of colony sclerites in the surface layer of the colony have clubs and tubercle shaped prominences, whereas slender spindles, cylinders and oval-shaped sclerites are seen in the coenenchyme tissue. Further, few variations in morphology and length of sclerites in the colony were observed. These variations were discussed type specimens published elsewhere in the present study.
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References
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Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful to the Director, Zoological Survey of India, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate change, Government of India, for providing facilities. Also thanks to Forest department of Campbell Bay, Nicobar Island, for providing logistic support during the surveys.
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S Rajendra collected material, and identified and prepared manuscript, and C Raghunathan supervised, supported and corrected the manuscript.
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The specimen is not under the listed category of experimental animal, which needs ethics approval.
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The recorded species material is available in National Zoological Collection of Andaman and Nicobar Regional Centre, Zoological Survey of India, Port Blair, A & N Islands, India.
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Rajendra, S., Raghunathan, C. A New Record of Soft Coral, Sarcophyton subviride Tixier-Durivault, 1958 (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Octocorallia)—from Great Nicobar Island, India. Natl. Acad. Sci. Lett. 45, 145–148 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40009-021-01098-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40009-021-01098-z