Indian Journal of Geo Marine Sciences Vol. 46 (01), January 2017, pp. 190-191

First record of patula () from Palk Bay, India

G. Mathews*, K. Diraviya Raj, S. Rajesh, P. Dinesh Kumar and J.K. Patterson Edward

Suganthi Devadason Marine Research Institute, 44-Beach Road, Tuticorin – 628 001, Tamil Nadu, India *[Email: [email protected]] Received 25 September 2014; revised 22 October 2014 A new patch coral area has been recorded first time during a recent survey by Suganthi Devadason Marine Research Insti- tute (SDMRI) Reef Research Team (RRT) in the northern region of Palk Bay near Thamodharanpattinam fishing village which is about 70 km away from Pamban. Among the four recorded in the patch coral area, is a new record for the Palk Bay and has been listed as vulnerable in IUCN red list. The current findings provide an insight in to more new coral patches and probably new species in Palk Bay which are to be explored yet.

[Key words: Turbinaria patula, Palk Bay, coral patches, Seagrasses]

The importance of coral reefs has been widely New patch coral area was recorded by SDMRI RRT acknowledged and various steps are being taken to during a recent survey in Palk Bay at a significant counter the global reef decline, however, there are distance from the already recorded coral areas2. Three many reef areas in the world which are still to be patches of corals measuring a total of 475 sq.m area explored. Coral reefs in India mainly occur in Gulf of were found parallel to Thamodharanpattinam fishing Mannar and Palk Bay, Lakshadweep, Andaman & village (N 09°44.572’ E 079°05.559’) at about 6 m Nicobar Islands, and Gulf of Kutch and all these depth. Distance from this village to these patch coral major reefs are under natural and anthropogenic area was about 5.8 km. The average cover of live cor- threats. Majority of the corals in the Palk Bay region als was 18.29% and coral genera Turbinaria and Go- are distributed on the south Palk Bay region i.e. niopora were recorded with two species each; T. pa- northern side of the Rameswaram Island to Vedhaa- tula, T. peltata, G. minor and G. stutchburyi. Pillai lai, covering a distance of about 25 km coastline and (1971)3 recorded 66 species of corals belonging to 23 northern side of Palk Bay is provided with luxuriant genera in Palk Bay which is far less than the 117 cor- seagrass meadows. Pillai (1969)1 made his al species4 in Gulf of Mannar. Among the four spe- observations as provided below: Poor representation cies recorded, T. patula (Dana 1846), which is com- of corals on the reef and widely spaced nature of monly called disc coral, was recorded for the first the colonies indicate that the reef in consideration is time in Palk Bay. This species has been listed as not an actively growing one in Palk Bay. Widely vulnerable in the IUCN Red List. Colonies of this spaced and poor growth of corals at Palk Bay species were found healthy in the middle of dense indicates that the existing ecological factors are not seagrass meadows dominated by Cymodocea serrula- very congenial for a luxuriant growth of corals. Shore ta. The presence of new recruits of T. patula of as well as the lagoon bottom in the Palk Bay being different size classes justifies the successful reproduc- sandy, a large quantity of silt is stirred up during the tion and recruitment of this species. Colonies of this period of north-east monsoon, the wind at this period species are usually irregularly folded, unifacial, mostly crossing the shore in a north-east direction. upright fronds with long tubular corallites strongly Stirred up sand and silt get suspended and the lagoon inclined towards the colony margins. Corallites have waters look muddy during this period. The effect of elliptical openings, and average 5 millimetres in di- silt during north-east monsoon is a marked degree ameter. Colour of this species is pale brown, green or here, which prevents a healthy growth of corals. grey5. Following is the classification of T. patula.

INDIAN J. MAR. SCI., VOL. 46, NO.01, JANUARY 2017 191

Kingdom – Animalia Acknowledgement Phylum – Authors are thankful to Tamil Nadu Forest Department for financial support through the project Class – on “Species Conservation Action Plan for Dugongs in Subclass – Hexacorallia Palk Bay” under Tamil Nadu Biodiversity Greening Project and Suganthi Devadason Marine Research Order – Sclecactinia Institute for facilities. Authors also extend thanks to Family – Dendrophyllidae Andrew H. Baird, ARC Centre of Excellence for – Turbinaria Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, and Townsville, Australia for helping in species Species – patula identification.

A References 1 Pillai , C S G., The distribution of corals on a reef at Manda- pam (Palk Bay), South India. J. Mar. Biol. Ass. India, 11(1) (1969): 62-72. 2 Live patch corals discovered in Palk Bay. The Hindu, 05 Sep- tember. (2014) Ramanathapuram (Special Correspondent).

3 Pillai, C S G., Composition of the coral fauna of the sou theas- tern coast of India. In: Regional Variation in Indian Ocean Coral Reefs (ed. Stoddart, D.R and Young, C.M.). Symposia of the Zoological society of London., 28 (1971) 301-325. 4 Edward, J K P., Mathews, G., Jamila. P., Wilhelmsson, D., Tamelander, J. and Linden, O., Coral reefs of the Gulf of Man- nar, Southeastern India - Distribution, Diversity and Status. SDMRI Special publication no.12., (2007) pp.113. 5 Veron, J E N., Corals of the World. Australian Institute of B Marine Science, Townsville. (2000), pp. 1382. 6 Karuthapandian, T., Karuppudurai, A. and Kumaraguru, K., A preliminary study on the environmental condition of the coral reef habitat. Int. J. Environ. Sci. Tech., 4(3) (2007) 371-378. 7 Thinesh, T., Mathews, G. and Edward, J K P., Coral disease prevalence in the Palk Bay, Southeastern India – with special emphasis to black band. Indian Journal of Geo-Marine Science, Vol.40 (6)., (2011) 813 - 820. 8 Thinesh, T., Studies on the coral diseases of Gulf of Mannar and Palk Bay, Southeast coast of India, Ph.D. thesis, Manon- maniyam

Fig. 1 — A&B Underwater photographs of T.patula coral found in seagrass meadows in Palk Bay

In Palk Bay, corals are being disturbed by human impacts through oil pollution, waste discharge from processing units and discharge of domestic household wastes from the nearby Mandapam town6. Coral diseases also have been recorded affecting health of Palk Bay reefs which have reduced the coral cover significantly7-8. The current finding encourages further underwater surveys focusing to record new unexplored coral areas and associated living resources.