Cantharus Tranquebaricus (Gmelin, 1791): First Record from Istributio D

n Gastropoda, Neogastropoda, Buccinidae, Cantharus tranquebaricus (Gmelin, 1791): First record from istributio D

* raphic and Anisa B. Khan g Pondicherry mangroves, southeast coast of India eo

G Palanisamy Satheeshkumar

n * Corresponding author. Email: [email protected]

o Pondicherry Central University, Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences. P.O. Box 605014- Puducherry, India.

otes N

is a characteristic species of molluscan (Gmelin, fauna of the1791) Bay is of reported Bengal and for thethe descriptionsfirst time in ofPondicherry the shell are mangroves, provided. southeast coast of India. Three adult specimens have been found in the Thengaithittu lagoon during post monsoon season of 2009. It

Indian mangroves have a rich diversity of soil dwelling organisms which include micro, meio and macro forms. Mangrove ecosystem provides an ideal nursery and breeding ground to most of the marine and brackish water et al. mangrove occurs as fringing vegetation over 168 ha fishdistributed and shellfish along (Ananthan the sides of Ariankuppam 2004). Pondicherry estuary, which is seasonally bar-built and semi diurnal type that

Veerampatinam on the south east coast of India. From the Mozambiqueflows eastwards and andEast emptiesIndian Ocean, into the some Bay information of Bengal atis

Three adult specimens of Cantharus tranquebaricus wereavailable collected on these by groups hand (Trew in Thengaithittu1987; Mienis 2003). region of withPondicherry Rose Bengal mangroves, solution in for post easy monsoon spotting. Specimens season of 2009, preserved in 10% neutral formalin and stained Figure 1. Cantharus tranquebaricus were identified to the lowest practical taxonomic level from Pondicherry mangroves, India (PUUGCMRP-01). using standard references (Mienis 2003; Golani and Ben Brief description of the shell: Height about 1.5X of Eliahu 2004) and deposited in the Pondicherry University, the width; teleoconch consists of 5-6 convex whorls, which CantharusUniversity Grants tranquebaricus Commission (Gmelin, Major Research 1791) (Figure Project 1) -01. are tabulated at the sutures. Sculpture of the body whorl Buccinium tranquebaricum consists of 10-11 broad axial ribs, which are disappearing 15. towards the base, between the main ribs. Aperture large, Cantharus tranquebaricus Gmelin, 1791: 1-12; 1-500; fig. more than half the height of the shell, lip sharp with about 19 lirae running deep into aperture, these lirae correspond Material: The three Roding, specimens 1798: 20, found pl. 1 infig. India,7-8. with the intervals between the spiral ribs on the outside, lower part of the columella with a few wrinkles. Umbilicus

Thengaithittu lagoon, Pondicherry mangrove. Coll. brownish with paler axial main ribs and remaining P. Distribution: Satheeshkumar, 15. Feb. 2009 dated 15.02.2009 teleoconchis small but whorls open. yellowish Colour of with first pale 2.5 teleoconchwhite spiral whorls band Mediterranean(PUUGCMRP-01). coast of Israel, Mauritius Island, Central just below the middle of the body whorl, aperture encircled and East Indian Ocean, Tropical Tranquebar, Indo – West Australia Pacific, (Trew Thailand, 1987; with a thin orange-brown band. Two former lips on the last quarter of the body whorl are indicated with a similar Habitat: Mangroves, from mud samples, under rocks. orange brown axial line. RussellFeeding: and Hewitt They feed2000). on small crustaceans and marine Colour: Brownish yellow worms. Cantharus tranquebaricus (Gmelin, 1791), which is

Check List | Volume 7 | Issue 1 | 2011 083 Satheeshkumar and Khan |Gastropoda, Neogastropoda, Buccinidae, Cantharus tranquebaricus (Gmelin, 1791)

Mozambigue coast and subsequently reported in the discharge of industrial, domestic and agricultural wastes Easternoriginated Indian from Ocean. the Indian In the Ocean,Late report was C. first tranquebaricus reported in throughof India. small Pondicherry tributaries coastal and area channels is polluted into the due Bay to the of is clearly attested in different parts of Tropical Indo – West Bengal (Ananthan et al.

as a result from its isolated 2004). position, In addition, and several the study manmade area Pacific, Thailand and Mediterranean coast of Israel (Trew stressesof Pondicherry are considered coast has natural to be environmental mainly responsible handicaps for According1987; Mienis to Wilson 2003). et It al. is also recordedC. tranquebaricus in the Northern is very a decline of molluscs. Since coastal ecosystems are similarTerritory to portyoung in specimens Australia of (Russell C. fumosus and Hewitt 2000). from Australia, a probable (1994) sister species. Saravanakumar et al. Geographically, the study area lies within(Dillwyn the boundaries 1817) responsible for a large amount of fish and shellfish yields, that would form a useful(2009) tool had for reported further the ecological baseline The present record of C. tranquebaricus is the assessmentinformation of and fin monitoringand shellfish of resources this coastal and abundance, mangrove of 11°46’03” – 11°53’40” N, 79°49’45” – 79°48’00” E ecosystem. (Figure 2). first report from Pondicherry mangroves, southeast coast

Figure 2.

Map of the study site of Pondicherry mangroves, India. Acknowledgments: Authors thank the University Grants Commission, Fishery resources in arid zone mangroves in gulf of Kachchh, Gujarat, Saravanakumar,northwest coast A. Rajkumar, of India. M. Journal Serebiah, of Ocean J.S. and University G.A. Thivakaran. of China 2009. Government of India for the financial support. The authors thank the Literatureauthorities of Cited Pondicherry University for providing necessary facilities. Trew, A. 1987. The Melvill-Tomlin Collection. Buccinacea (Pyrenidae, 8(3): Buccinidae,233-240. Galeodidae, Nassariidae and Fasciolariidae). Cardiff:

Ananthan, G.A. Sampathkumar, P. Soundarapandian, P. and L. Australian marine shells India.Kannan. Journal 2004. of Aquatic Observation Biology on environmental characteristics of National Museum of Wales. 20 p. Ariyankuppam estuary and VeerampattinamA newsletter coast of of the Pondicherry, biological Wilson, B. Wilson, C. and P. Baker. 1994. . Vol. 2. collections of The Hebrew University 19(2):. Jerusalem: 67-72. Eds. Haasiana. 68p. Leederville: Odyssey Publishing. 370 p. Golani, D. and M.N. Cantharus Ben Eliahu. tranquebaricus 2004. Indian Ocean species in the Eastern Mediterranean. Triton 8: 11. Mienis, H.K. 2003. Baseline survey: first of recordthe port of of anotherDarwin For introduced marine species Received: December 2010 Russell, B.C. and C.L. Hewitt. 2000. Last Revised: February 2011 organisms in Indian mangroves.. 104 Zoos p. Print Accepted: February 2011 : Luis Ernesto Arruda Bezerra Sunilkumar, R. 2000. A review of biodiversity studies of soil dwelling Published online: February 2011 15(3): 221-227. Editorial responsibility

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