Diversity and Distribution of Common Ascidians of Andaman Group of Islands
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Middle-East Journal of Scientific Research 23 (10): 2411-2417, 2015 ISSN 1990-9233 © IDOSI Publications, 2015 DOI: 10.5829/idosi.mejsr.2015.23.10.96260 Diversity and Distribution of Common Ascidians of Andaman Group of Islands Jhimli Mondal, C. Raghunathan and Tamal Mondal Zoological Survey of India, Andaman and Nicobar Regional Centre, National Coral Reef Research Institute, Haddo, Port Blair - 744 102, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India Abstract: The studies of diversity and distribution of Ascidians (benthic sessile animals) were carried out at Andaman group of islands. A total of 32 species of ascidian fauna were found from 27 study areas of this region. The Shannon-Weaver diversity index ranges up to 2.10. Higher degree of similarity of species was found between geographically nearby areas. However, no similarity also been recorded may be due to the poor species richness in some of the areas. Details of diversity with various ecological indices along with distributional patterns are depicted in the present paper. Key words: Ascidians Diversity and Distribution Diversity Indices Similarity Index Andaman INTRODUCTION ascidians from the India. Although this species list not included the ascidians of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Ascidians are with approximately 3000 species, From Andaman and Nicobar Islands only 43 species were found across the World’s Ocean. They are commonly reported [15-17] out of which only 27 ascidians were known as sea squirt as they eject waters through their reported [15,17] from Andaman group of islands. siphons when they are disturbed [1]. Ascidians can be Ascidians are very commonly found in Andaman group solitary or colonial and the size of single ascidians of islands from the intertidal zone to up to the depth of ranging from few millimetres to more than 10 cm [2]. 43 m. Present paper deals with the diversity and The animal is covered with test or tunic, made up of distributional pattern of ascidian fauna of Andaman group tunicin a kind of cellulose [2]. From the word tunicin the of islands. Subphylum name Tunicata (also known as Urochordata) was originated [2]. Except class Ascidiacea the two MATERIALS AND METHODS other classes of Tunicata are planktonic in nature. The larvae of ascidians are planktonic in nature and A total of 27 areas of Andaman group of islands such have resembles to other primitive chordates though as eleven areas of North Andaman, seven islands of adult ascidians have a little resembles with the chordates. Middle Andaman and eight islands and one jetty area of The animals are hermaphrodite in nature. However, South Andaman were surveyed during December, 2013 to they commonly avoid self-fertilization. First study on March, 2015 (Table 1 and Fig. 1). The data were collected Indian ascidians was made by Herdman in 1906 as he by Line Intercept Method of English et al. [18] and describes the ascidians from Gulf of Mannar [3]. Quadrat methods of Bakus [19] by employing Self Although it is considered that Oka in 1915 started the Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus (SCUBA) study of ascidians in India [4] by studying the deep sea diving to explore the diversity of ascidians. Each quadrat collections made on board during R.I.M.S Investigator was photographed by Canon G15 underwater camera. expedition and described 11 new species [3]. Later on Wherever possible, entire quadrat was photographed by Sebastian and Kurian [5] and Renganathan [6-14] studied using by Canon G15 underwater camera in a single frame on Indian ascidians. In 2003, Meenakshi et al. [4] depending upon the topography of the sea bottom. submitted a report to the Ministry of Environment and Species abundance monitoring takes place at specified Forests in which they mentioned about 388 species of sample points using a square grid called a quadrat. Corresponding Author: Jhimli Mondal, Zoological Survey of India, Andaman and Nicobar Regional Centre, National Coral Reef Research Institute, Haddo, Port Blair-744 102, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India. Tel: (+91) 9434831324. 2411 Middle-East J. Sci. Res., 23 (10): 2411-2417, 2015 Typically, a quadrat is a grid of ten squares by ten squares allowing easy approximation of percent coverage. Centre a quadrat directly over a sample point. Record of species abundance within the quadrat was determined using the ACFOR scaling method. The methodology includes: A = abundant (Species present in 30% or more of quadrant squares), C = common (Species present in 20-29% of quadrant squares), F = frequent (Species present in 10-19% of quadrant squares), O = occasional (Species present in 5-9% of quadrant squares) and R = rare (Species present in 1-4% of quadrant squares). Species diversity and density was calculated considering Shannon-Weaver diversity index (H’) [20] Simpson's density index [21] Menhinick diversity index [22] Berger-Parker diversity index [23] and Fisher alpha diversity index [24]. The formula is given below: The formula for the Shannon-Weaver diversity index is: H’= - pi ln pi where, pi = Proportion of number of individual of a particular species and total number of individual of all the Fig. 1: Study areas of Andaman group of islands species, H’= diversity of a theoretically infinite Table 1: Co-ordinates of surveyed areas population. Sl. No. Study areas Latitude Longitude North Andaman The formula for the Simpson’s density index is: 1. Landfall Island 13°37.694’N 93°00.932’E ni( ni − 1) 2. Peacock Island 13°33.692’N 93°03.119’E S D =1 − ÷ 3. Cape Price 13º30.172’N 93º02.627’E ∑i=1 4. Table Excelsior Island 13°24.862’N 93°05.223’E NN( −1) 5. Trilby Island 13°24.812’N 93°04.146’E 6. Turtle Island 13°22.064’N 93°04.832’E where S is the number of species, N is the total percentage 7. Smith Island 13°17.755’N 92°57.830’E 8. Durgapur 13°16.517’N 93°02.557’E cover or total number of organisms and n is the 9. Shibpur 13°14.112’N 93°03.343’E percentage cover of a species or number of organisms of 10. Craggy Island 13°13.531’N 93°03.394’E a species. In this form, D ranges from 1 to 0, with 1 11. North Reef Island 13º03.560’ N 92º42.764’ E representing infinite diversity and 0 representing no Middle Andaman 12. Sound Island 12°56.513’N 92°57.269’E diversity. 13. Oliver Island 12°59.684’N 92°57.257’E 14. Curlew Island 12º56.092’ N 92º53.168’ E The formula for Menhinick diversity index is: 15. North Button Island 12°18.880’ N 93°04.010’ E 16. Long Island 12°25.359’ N 92°57.869’ E 17. Round Island 12°20.070’ N 92°54.627’ E d = S/ N 18. North Passage Island 12°18.288’ N 92°54.830’ E South Andaman where, S = Total number of species and N = Total number 19. Inglis Island 12º08.946’N 93º06.8261E 20. John Lawrence Island 12°03.015’N 92°02.200’E of individuals. 21. Neil Island 11°° 52.112' N 093 01.052'E The formula for Berger-Parker diversity index is: 22. North Bay 11°41.962’N 92°45.219’E 23. Rutland Island 11°30.119’ N 92°37.112’ E d=N /N 24. Riflemen Island 11°30.837’ N 92°38.767’ E max 25. Pongibalu Jetty 11°30.956’ N 92°30.206’ E 26. South Brother Island 10° 55.577'N 092° 37.159'E where, Nmax =number of individuals in the most abundant 27. Little Andaman Island 10° 53.226'N 092° 32.060'E species and N=total number of individuals in the sample. 2412 Middle-East J. Sci. Res., 23 (10): 2411-2417, 2015 The formula of Fisher alpha diversity index is: abundant in the Andaman group of islands although 7 species out of 32 species are commonly found , S=a×ln (1+n/a) occasionally 6 species and frequently 1 species are found. However, 12 species were categorised as rare as where, S=number of taxa, n=number of individuals and they found less than 4% of total examined ascidian fauna a=Fisher’s alpha. in Andaman group of Islands. Results of different diversity indices are given in Evenness of the ascidian community was described Table 3. Shannon-Weaver diversity index was highest by the Pielou’s evenness index (J’) [25]. The formula of (2.10) at Sound Island and lowest (0.14) at Turtle Island. the index is: Menhinick diversity index exhibited the maximum value (1.89) at North Button Island and minimum value (0.19) at J’=H’/H’max North Reef Island. Equitability index was maximum (0.95) at John Lawerence Island while minimum (0.11) at Smith where H' is the number derived from the Shannon Island. Pielou’s evenness index exhibit highest value (1) diversity. at Curlew Island and Round Island due to single species recorded from those islands and least (0.13) at Oliver Margalef’s community index [26] was calculated by Island and Simpson’s Density Index also displayed the using the following formula below: maximum value (0.84) at Sound Island while minimum (0.05) at Smith Island. Margalef’s community index and d = S -1/ log N Fisher Alpha diversity index was maximum (2.83 and 7.82) at Sound Island and North Button Island respectively where, S = Total number of species and N = Total number while the minimum (0.29 and 0.47 respectively) at Turtle of individuals. Island. Both the Dominance index and Berger – Parker Diversity index exhibited the highest value (0.94 and 0.97 Percentage of Similarity Index is the simple measure respectively) from Smith and Turtle Island and lowest of the extent to which two habitats species in common.