Mollusca of India Inside.... Ÿ Mollusca of India - The Need for Conservation Ÿ Diversity of Mollusca Ÿ In News Ÿ Tid Bits Ÿ Latest Events Vol. 17 (2) April 2018 - September 2018 For Private Circulation only ENVIS Resource Partner - MoEF & CC Newsletter for Coastal Zone Management and Coastal Shelter Belt CHIEF EDITOR Contents Prof. Dr. S. Srinivasalu Volume 17 (2) April - September 2018 Co - ordinator, ENVIS - IOM, Director, Institute for Ocean Management, Anna University , Chennai. Mollusca of India - The 01 Need for Conservation EDITORS S. Kanimozhi Programme Ofcer - ENVIS, 02 Diversity of Mollusca Institute for Ocean Management, Anna University Chennai. S. Sathya Information Ofcer - ENVIS, In News Institute for Ocean Management, Anna University 16 Chennai. K. Rajalakshmi IT Ofcer - ENVIS, Institute for Ocean Management, Anna University 21 Tid Bits Chennai. Important Websites Institute for Ocean Management (IOM) - Latest Events www.annauniv.edu/iom/home.htm 22 IOM ENVIS Centre - www.iomenvis.nic.in Please send your valuable suggestions, comments and www.iomenvis.in queries to: ENVIS RESOURCE PARTNER Land Ocean Interactions in the Coastal Zone - Centre for Coastal Zone Management and Coastal Shelter Belt www.loiczsouthasia.org Institute for Ocean Management, Anna University National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Chennai - 600 025, Tamil Nadu, India. Management - www.ncscm.res.in : [email protected] Cover Design & Layout: Visit us at: www.iomenvis.nic.in S. Sathya Please send your feedback to [email protected] Contact : Front Page Image Courtesy: +91 (44) 2235 7506 / 8448 http://elhabitatdelaspalabras.blogspot.com/2016/04/como- caracola-de-nacar.html + 91 44 2220 0158 Printed at: [email protected], [email protected], Houston Graphics, Chennai [email protected] Printed at: Our Previous Coast Track Newsletters 1. Vol 6 (1) March 2007 : 17. Vol 13 (1 and 2) April 2014 - September 2014 : Need for Coastal Management and Interpreng the Plans, Sand Dunes - A natural shelter belt - Status, Legislaon Policies and Strategies for Integrave ,Coastal and Values Management Plan of a few Islands in Andaman 18. Vol 13 (3 and 4) October 2014 - March 2015: 2. Vol 6 (2) December 2007 : Ecologically Sensive Coastal Areas Coastal Shelter Belts, Overview of Types of Coastal Protecon, Shore Protecon and Sea Defense 19. Vol 14 (1) April 2015 - June 2015: Coastal Ecosystem - Fresh Water Implicaon 3. Vol 7 (1) March 2008 : Coastal Bioshield 20. Vol 14 (2) July 2015 - September 2015: Coastal Ecosystem Valuaon 4. Vol 7 (2) July 2008 : Natural Hazards and Disasters 21. Vol 15 (1) October 2015 - March 2016: Annual Monsoon 2015 in South India - 5. Vol 7 (3 and 4) January 2009 - March 2009 : A Nightmare to Chennai City Global Change and the Coastal Zone : LOICZ Science 22. Vol 15 (2) April 2016 - September 2016 : 6. Vol 8 (1) June 2009 : Coral Reefs in India - A Review Fisheries and Climate Change 23. Vol 16(1) October 2016 - March 2017 : 7. Vol 8 (2 and 3) October 2009 and January 2010 : Coastal Cliffs of India Deltas of the World, A Review of Coastal Science Issues 24. Vol 16(2) April 2017 - September 2017 : 8. Vol 8 (4) January 2010 - March 2010 and Vol 9 (1) April Contribuons to Marine Biodiversity in India 2010 - June 2010 : Icelandic Volcanoes 25. Vol 17(1) October 2017 - March 2018 Use of M-Learning among fisher folk in Tamil Nadu and 9. Vol 9 (2) July 2010 - September 2010 : Rainfall events over the coast of Tamil Nadu Arficial Reefs 10. Vol 9 (3 and 4) October 2010 - March 2011 : Blue Carbon 11. Vol 10 (1 and 2) April 2011 - September 2011 : Ecosystem Services and Human Well Being 12. Vol 10 (3 and 4) October 2011 - March 2012 : Coastal Waste Waters 13. Vol 11 (1 and 2) April 2012 - September 2012 : Coastal Livelihoods in India 14. Vol 11 (3 and 4) October 2012 - March 2013 : India - A Disaster Prone Country 15. Vol 12 (1 and 2) April 2013 - September 2013 : Sand Dunes 16. Vol 12 (3 and 4) October 2013 - March 2014 : Coastal Erosion Editorial Note Mollusca are one of the most diverse groups of animals on the planet, with at least 50,000 living species (and more likely around 200,000) which range in size from 20-meter-long giant squid to microscopic aplacophorans, a millimeter or less in length, that live between sand grains. It includes such familiar organisms as snails, octopuses, squid, clams, scallops, oysters, and chitons. This group is one of the early formed organisms from Ediacaran period (635 millions year ago - end of the Proterozoic Eon, and the beginning of the Phanerozoic Eon). The molluscs spread out rapidly during the Cambrian explosion. The bivalves and gastropods attained maximum population density during the Ordovician. Aplacophorans, chitons, scaphopods and cephalopods radiated later in the Palaeozoic. Monoplacophorans appear to have experienced a Late Cretaceous bottleneck (Kano et al. 2012), which can be ascribed to their colonization of the deep sea as a refugium, and the series of Cretaceous ocean anoxic events (Jenkyns 1980), which would have limited their distribution episodically. Several aspects of molluscan evolution still need scrutiny. These creatures are extremely important members of many ecological communities. They are ubiquitous morphologically homogeneous population spread through every possible environment. They are also part of almost every ecosystem in the world. They range in distribution from terrestrial mountain tops to the hot vents and cold seeps of the deep sea. While most are found in marine environment, the gastropods are found in the sea and on its littoral, in brackish-water and fresh water, both rivers and lakes, and on land in surroundings showing every degree of humidity. The lamellibranchs, are mainly marine, with a few fresh- water species. Amphineura, Scaphopoda, and Cephalopoda are wholly marine. These organisms have been important to humans throughout history as a source of food, jewelry, tools and even pets. This issue of Coast track furnishes the detailed information on mollusca of India, which will be more useful to the Stake holders. S.SRINIVASALU Mollusca of India Coast track Vol. 17 (2) April - September 2018 01 Mollusca of India - the need for Conservation K.VENKATARAMAN Mollusca, meaning “soft-bodied”, is one of the largest Mollusks are second largest group of animal after phylums in the animal kingdom. The word mollusc (or insect, largest of all groups in the marine ecosystem mollusk) derives from the Latin word “mollis,” which which are highly adaptive and occupy all possible means “soft.” There are an estimated 200,000 habitats except the aerial. Originated from sea, they species of mollusk worldwide accounting for nearly a spread into freshwater and from there into the land, quarter of all marine life. Familiar species of mollusk where they now almost equal to the marine forms in include snails, squid, octopuses, clams and oysters. species numbers. The striking feature of the phylum According to fossil records, the first mollusks Mollusca is the presence of mantle and radula not appeared on earth some 600 million years ago. It took found in any other groups. At present molluscs are another 100 million years before mollusks first represented by seven classes of which, five occur in appeared in and near freshwater lakes and streams. India. It is only within the last 100 million years that mollusk Molluscs have successfully adapted to different has fully evolved to their present states, populating ecological conditions. They act as important diverse land, freshwater and marine habitats component of biomass. They are first living creatures worldwide. to have hard shells and the earlier man was perhaps Molluscs have lost much of their historical usage as attracted to these shells for which the association of medicine, tools or religious symbols but their man and molluscs date back to prehistoric time. They economic value as a source of protein and as are most part benthonic, but many have pelagic also. ornaments or decorations is possibly greater now Primarily inhabitant of the intertidal and littoral zones than ever before. Ornamental shells are still traded in of the oceans molluscs descend into a greater depth. huge quantities and perhaps even more so today A conservative estimate of species by Winckworth is because of the increase of trade via electronic media 31,643 marine, 8765 freshwater and 24,503 land especially Internet. Throughout the world, gastropod, molluscs. cephalopods and bivalve shells are bought or Freshwater molluscs play a vital role in the collected as 'portable memories' when people are ecosystem, particularly their role in food chain linking vacationing. Tropical shells, with their attractive up edible fishes, which are major resources of protein colours and hues, various morphologies with intricate for human. Not only the aquatic animals depend on spikes and curves, are especially popular souvenirs. them as food, but also human in many parts of the The development of international and local tourism in country, harvests quiet a good amount of their daily the tropics over the last three decades has increased food source. As vector, they are transmitter of many the demand and trade in souvenirs, with consequent diseases in livestock and man and play intermediate pressures on marine resources. Mollusca of India Coast track Vol. 17 (2) April - September 2018 02 host for many trematods of which Schistosomiasis is would have started in the later part of the expedition. reckoned as a potential threat to human population. The records present in the Indian Museum shows that On the other hand many larval bivalves are parasitic Murex trapa, also commonly known as Rare-spined on gill of fishes. Murex, is the first registered specimen of the then Indian Museum, which was collected by J. Barnett, Land molluscs have significant role in terrestrial Esq. Branch Pilot, P.V.