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Nudibranches from the Northern Persian Gulf Rezai, Hamid1*; Mohtarami, Seid Ali2; Dehghani, Hammed3; Tavakoli, Parviz4; Bargahi, Hamid Reza5; Kabiri, Keivan1

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Nudibranches from the Northern Persian Gulf Rezai, Hamid1*; Mohtarami, Seid Ali2; Dehghani, Hammed3; Tavakoli, Parviz4; Bargahi, Hamid Reza5; Kabiri, Keivan1 Journal of the Persian Gulf (Marine Science)/Vol. 7/No. 24/ June 2016/8/1-8 Nudibranches from the Northern Persian Gulf Rezai, Hamid1*; Mohtarami, Seid Ali2; Dehghani, Hammed3; Tavakoli, Parviz4; Bargahi, Hamid Reza5; Kabiri, Keivan1 1-Iranian National Institute for Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences, Tehran, Iran 2-Asia Aquarium, Bandar Lingeh, Iran 3-Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran 4-Young Researchers Club, Islamic Azad University, Bandar Abbas, Iran 5-Iranian Fisheries Organization, Tehran, Iran Received: March 2016 Accepted: June 2016 © 2016 Journal of the Persian Gulf. All rights reserved. Abstract Field studies were conducted in a number of intertidal and offshore islands in the Persian Gulf between 2006 to 2013. SCUBA and skin diving surveys were conducted around Larak, Hormuz, Qeshm, Hengam, Farur, Kish, Lavan, Khark and Farsi islands in the northern region of the Persian Gulf. Marine invertebrates including nudibranchs were photographed up to 32 m. Several species of nudibranchs are reported from the northern region of the Persian Gulf, over the Iranian side. In total, 32 genera of nudibranchs are recorded, which include Fryeria rüeppelii, Haminoea sp., Chromodoris annulata, Gymnodoris rubropapulosa, Cuthona yamasui, Hypselodoris maridadilus, Glossodoris pallida, Glossodoris sp., Asteronotus cespitosus, Marioniopsis viridescens, Stylocheilus striatus, Jorunna funebris and Elysia sp. were recorded from several Iranian Island in the Persian Gulf. The most common species was Chromodoris annulata throughout most of the surveyed islands, but Haminoea sp. was highly abundant and conspicuous species only in Farsi Island. Except for G. pallida, Glossodoris sp. and C. annulata, all the above species are considered new records for the northern region of Downloaded from jpg.inio.ac.ir at 19:26 IRST on Monday September 27th 2021 the Persian Gulf, but Bursatella leachii, M. viridescens, Phestilla lugubris, Discodoris lilacina and Haminoea sp. are new records from the Persian Gulf proper. An increase in several new records to the Iranian fauna and new records of rare species, in relatively few years results mainly from sampling effort and contributions by specialists on samples of poorly known sampled areas. Prospects for finding new and more species are promising given more diving operations are carried out. Key words: Nudibranchs, SCUBA, Underwater photography, Islands, Diversity, Persian Gulf 1. Introduction underwater photographers, marine biologists, and biotechnologists. Nudribranch is the largest order in Nudibranchs are shell-less gastropods. Their the opistobranchs, and is a highly successful group. diverse color patterns, high diet specificity, and Species in this order are famed amongst SCUBA- mechanical and chemical defensive attributes have divers throughout the world because of their delicate rendered them photographic and research targets for beauty and colorful patterns. Nudibranchs can be found in all the world’s oceans, and in most marine * Email: [email protected] habitats, and they vary in size from 4 mm to 60 cm 1 Rezai et al. / Nudibranches from the Northern Persian Gulf… (Thompson, 1976). It is suggested that there are of nudibranchs from Iranian side could be added to more than 3000 species worldwide (Wägele and the present checklist of marine nudibranchs in the Willan, 2000). Persian Gulf. Although, the Persian Gulf and its islands are Under the auspices of Iranian National Center for endowed with invaluable diversity of geological and Oceanography (INIO), several investigations were marine habitats and fauna, its arid climate, large carried out on the ecology of coral reefs around seasonal temperature fluctuations and relatively high Iranian Islands in the Persian Gulf between 2006 and salinities combined make it an extremely stressful 2013. SCUBA diving surveys were carried out on marine environment (Sheppard et al., 1992). The some remote islands in the northern region of the Persian Gulf is inhabited by an impoverished Indo- Persian Gulf, and marine inverteb-rates, including Pacific fauna and for its relatively short history of nudibranch were photographed and collected up to development and the limited water exchange through 32 m. the Straits of Hormuz, the diversity of nudibranch The present work reports the finding of new species in the Persian Gulf is expected to be lower records of nudibranchs in the north-ern region of the than the Oman Sea. Persian Gulf. The purpose of the present study is to Previously, Smyth (1982) identified four dorids document a checklist of nudibranch species off the and one aplysiid in the Persian Gulf. Later three coasts of some islands in the northern Persian Gulf nudibranchs were observed (Rezai et al., 1995) as a and update on distribution of species in those islands. part of the ecology of marine molluscs around several Iranian islands in the Persian Gulf. Recently, 2. Materials and Methods Nithyananadan (2012) has recorded four new records of nudibranchs from Kuwait and one new record in Materials for the general study were conducted in the Persian Gulf. As there are very few workers the field at a number of intertidal and offshore currently engaged in studying nudibranchs islands in the northern region of the Persian Gulf exclusively in the northern Persian Gulf, the record (Figure 1) from 2006 to 2012. SCUBA and skin Downloaded from jpg.inio.ac.ir at 19:26 IRST on Monday September 27th 2021 Fig. 1: The location of study areas 2 Journal of the Persian Gulf (Marine Science)/Vol .7/No. 24/ June 2016/8/1-8 diving surveys were conducted around Larak, Chromodoris annulata, Gymnodoris rubropapulosa, Hormuz, Qeshm, Hengam, Farur, Kish, Lavan, Cuthona yamasui, Hypselodoris maridadilus, Khark and Farsi islands in the northern region of the Glossodoris pallida, Glossodoris sp., Asteronotus Persian Gulf. The hard bottom seabed around the cespitosus, Marioniopsis viridescens, Stylocheilus islands provides an environment that supports the striatus, Jorunna funebris and Elysia sp. were growth of corals and nudibranchs. Herein is recorded from several Iranian Island in the Persian ereHererI here reported on the nudibranchs Gulf. encountered during the surveys? The most common and abundant species is The nudibranchs were photographed up to 32 m. Chromodoris annulata throughout most of the This effort has revealed several new records of surveyed islands, but Haminoea sp. and Cuthona nudibranch species not previously recorded from the yamasui were rare. The presence of Haminoea sp. study area. At each location, details of the habitat (Haminoeidae) in Farsi Island is significant as it has type and water depth were recorded. In some cases, never been observed in other islands in the Persian divers have brought back live specimens for study in Gulf thus far. Haminoe sp. was the only conspicuous a field laboratory. nudibranch present in Farsi Island, and abundant All the sites have been visited on one or more only on the patch reefs in the eastern part of the occasions during the course of the study, though island. many of the photographs were taken on subtidal Except for G. pallida, Glossodoris sp. and C. rocky seabeds and major reefs associated around annulata, all the above species are considered new Farur and Kish islands. All underwater photographs records for the “northern region” of the Persian Gulf, were taken in situ. Specimens were photographed in but Bursatella leachii, M. viridescens, Phestilla the field and then released. No attempt was made to lugubris, Discodoris lilacina and Haminoea sp. are preserve the sample in the field. new records from the Persian Gulf. Several Specimens were identified using descriptions by individuals of Marioniopsis viridescens were seen Rudman (1973), Yonow (1989), Debelius (1998), and photographed on rock faces in about 5 m depth Debelius and Kuiter (2007), and internet sources near Farur during daytime. This species has never Downloaded from jpg.inio.ac.ir at 19:26 IRST on Monday September 27th 2021 (http://www. nudi-pixel. net, and http:// been recorded from any other island in the Persian www.seaslugforrum.net). Nudibranchs are Gulf thus far. notoriously difficult to identify from preserved Almost all of the specimens were found on or material (Jensen, 2005). Also, taxonomy is unsettled around coral reefs and on subtidal rocks. The most for some genera similarities among stations. A common nudibranch was Chromodoris anuulata measure of goodness-of-fit of the MDS ordination which usually spawns in the early spring in Kish was given by the stress value. Island. The common species is C. annulata with their peak in March with cosmopolitan distribution in the 3. Results and Discussion Indian Ocean. Elysia sp., Aplysia sp. and Bursatella leachii also reach maximum abundance in March. The records on nudibranhcs are some additions to Phestilla lugubris was only found around Hengam the Iranian mega biodiversity. Comparison of the Island, feeding on massive corals Porites and well species in different islands shows a total of 31 camouflaged on the host. It is considered the first nudibranchs belonging to 17 families (Table 1). The record for Iran if not for the Persian Gulf. The nudibranchs Fryeria rüeppelii, Haminoea sp., nudibranch Phestilla sibogae is known to incorporate 3 Rezai et al. / Nudibranches from the Northern Persian Gulf… Table 1. Observed nudibranch species in the surveyed islands in the northern Persian Gulf Taxa Farur Kish Hengam Qeshm Khark Larak Farsi Lavan Hormuz *Fryeria rüeppelii + + + Phyllidia sp. + + Chromodoris
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