Indian Journal of Geo Marine Sciences Vol. 47 (01), January 2018, pp. 96-102 Diversity and distribution of gorgonians (Octocorallia) in the Long Island and it’s adjacent areas in Middle Andaman, India J. S. Yogesh Kumar1*, S. Geetha2, C. Raghunathan3 & R. Sornaraj2 1Marine Aquarium and Regional Centre, Zoological Survey of India, (Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change), Government of India, Digha – 721428, West Bengal, India. 2Research Department of Zoology, Kamaraj College (Manonmaniam Sundaranar University), Thoothukudi – 628003, Tamil Nadu, India. 3Zoological Survey of India (Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change), Government of India, M Block, New Alipore, Kolkata - 700 053,West Bengal, India. [E.mail: [email protected] ] Received 05 November 2015 ; revised 17 November 2016 The diversity and distribution of gorgonian were assessed at seven sites at Long Island and it’s adjusting areas in Middle Andaman during 2013 to 2015. A total of 28 species of gorgonians are reported in shallow reef areas. Maximum life form was observed in Guaiter Island and Minimum in Headlamp Patch. A significant positive correlation was observed between the Islands, the species diversity was high for the genera Junceella, Subergorgia and Ellisella. Principal Component Analysis also supported for this three genes. [Keywords: Diversity, Gorgonian, Octocoral, Long Island, Middle Andaman, Andaman and Nicobar, India] Introduction The gorgonians popularly called as sea In India, the study on gorgonians fans and sea whips are marine sessile taxonomy initiated by Thomson and coelenterates with colonial skeleton and living Henderson15,16 and 50 species were reported of polyps1. They are exceptionally productive and a which 26 species were new from oyster banks of valuable natural asset. Most of the animals grow Gulf of Mannar. Thomson and Simpson17 in a reticulate pattern and the branches divide in reported 62 species under 27 genera, followed by one plane giving the shape of a fan. Gorgonian Thomas and Rani18 reported 22 species skeleton is composed of two parts, an outer belonging to 15 genera and 7 families from cortex containing loosely arranged calcareous Indian coast. Among them 12 species of sclerites and an inner medulla with a solid axis gorgonians from 4 families and 9 genera have made of calcareous or horny matter with or been reported from the northeast coast of India19. without the addition of calcareous sclerites. However in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Based on the arrangement of the skeleton, the only 10 species under 4 families and 9 genera order Gorgonacea is divided into three suborders have been recorded20 and reported 13 species namely Calcaxonia, Holaxonia and Scleraxonia2. belonging to 12 genera were recorded from Gorgonians act as refuge habitats for many small Ritchie’s Archipelago, South Andaman Islands. invertebrates such as crabs, snails and brittle The present work was made to assess the status stars3-9. Some natural compound was extracted of gorgonian octocorals and reporting 17 species from gorgonians for biomedical, belonging to 12 genera, 5 families from Long pharmacological and cosmetic uses10-14. Island and adjacent area in Middle Andaman. INDIAN J. MAR. SCI., VOL. 47, NO. 01, JANUARY 2018 97 De-trended correspondence analysis were carried out using PAST27 and PRIMER 7 version 7.0.5 28. Figure 2 Percentage of gorgonian cover between the Islands/sites, Middle Andaman Figure 1 Map showing the study locations in Middle Results Andaman Islands. A total of 28 species belonging 17 genera and 6 families of gorgonians were reported from the Material and Methods study areas. High number of species recorded Present survey were made at seven from Guaiter Island (20), followed by North locations viz. Long Island (LI), Headlam Patch Passage (17), Kalabahad (15), Kalabahad Light (HP), Guaiter Island (GI), North Passage Island house (14), Round Island (13), Long Island (12) (NP), Kalabahad (KB), Kalabahad Light house and Headlamp patch (7) (Table 1). The genus (KBL), Round Island (RI) (Figure 1). Samples Junceella was reported maximum in number and were collected during 2013 to 2015 at a depth percentage followed Subergorgia, Ellisella, range of 5-40m with the help of SCUBA diving. Menella, Echinogorgia, Melithaea while Isis These specimens were preserved in 70% ethanol reported only in Guaiter Island (Figure 2). 22 following Breedy and deposited in the National Zoological Collection of ZSI, Port Blair. The NP KB KBL LI RI HL specimens were identified based on the GI morphological characteristics of the colonies and 0.95 sclerite structure. Sclerites were extracted using 23 5% Sodium hypochlorite and examined under 0.9 the stereo microscope (Leica – DFC 500). The data obtained through the study 0.85 were analyzed with biological indexes such as 0.8 species richness (SR, the total number of species 24 0.75 observed) , the Shannon index (H’, calculated as Similarity H’ = - pi ∑log2pi, where pi is ni is the number of 0.7 individuals of the ith-species, and N is the total number of individuals)25 and the Pielou’s 0.65 evenness index (J’, indicating how the 0.6 abundances are partitioned across the species)26. Similarity indices between the sites and islands 0.55 calculated based on Jaccard index formula 0 0.8 1.6 2.4 3.2 4 4.8 5.6 6.4 7.2 8 [S=(2C/a+b)], Cluster analysis and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) scatter diagram and Figure 3 Similarity cluster analysis between the Islands/ sites in Middle Andaman 98 KUMAR et al.: DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTION OF GORGONIANS Table 1 List of Gorgonians in Long Island and its adjoining areas in Middle Andaman Islands. S.No List of Species LI HL GI NP KB KBL RI Subclass : Octocorallia Haeckel, 1866 Order : Alcyonacea Lamouroux, 1812 (Gorgonacea) Sub Order : Calcaxonia Grasshoff, 2000 Family : Ellisellidae Gray, 1859 Genus : Dichotella Gray, 1870 Dichotella gemmacea (Milne Edwards & Haime, * _ * * * * * 1. 1857) Genus : Ellisella Gray, 1858 1. Ellisella azilia (Grasshoff, * * * * * * * 2. 1999) Ellisella cercidia _ _ * * _ _ _ 3. (Grasshoff, 1999) Genus : Junceella Valenciennes, 1855 Juncella juncea * * * * * * * 4. (Pallas,1766) Genus : Viminella Gray, 1870 Viminella crassa (Grasshoff, _ _ * * _ * * 5. 1999) Viminella junceelloides _ _ _ * _ * _ 6. (Stiasny, 1938) Genus : Nicella Gray, 1870 Nicella flabellata * _ * * _ * _ 7. (Whitelegge, 1897) Nicella laxa Whitelegge, _ _ _ _ _ _ * 8. 1897 Genus : Verrucella Milne Edwards & Haime, 1858 Verrucella cerasina * _ * * _ _ * 9. (Grasshoff, 1999) Verrucella corona _ * * _ * * _ 10. (Grasshoff, 1999) Verrucella gubalensis _ _ _ _ * _ _ 11. Grasshoff, 2000 Verrucella klunzingeri _ _ _ _ * _ _ 12. Grasshoff, 2000 Family : Gorgoniidae Lamouroux, 1812 Genus : Rumphella Bayer, 1955 Rumphella aggregate _ _ _ * _ _ _ 13. (Nutting, 1910) Rumphella torta Klunzinger, _ _ * * * _ _ 14. 1877 Genus : Hicksonella Nutting, 1910 Hicksonella princeps _ _ * _ _ _ _ 15. Nutting, 1910 Family : Plexauridae Gray, 1859 Genus : Menella Gray, 1870 Menella woodin Grasshoff, * * * * * * * 16. 1999 Genus : Echinogorgia Kolliker, 1865 Echinogorgia toombo * * * * * * * 17. (Grasshoff, 1999) Genus : Echinomuricea Verrill, 1869 Echinomuricea indica Thomson & * _ _ * * * * 18. Simpson, 1909 Echinomuricea indomalaccensis Ridley, _ _ _ * _ _ _ 19. 1884 Genus : Euplexaura Verrill, 1869 Euplexaura rhipidalis * _ * _ * * * 20. Studer, 1895 INDIAN J. MAR. SCI., VOL. 47, NO. 01, JANUARY 2018 99 Genus : Villogorgia Duchassaing & Michelloti, 1862 Villogorgia tenuis (Nutting, _ _ * _ _ _ _ 21. 1908) Sub Order : Scleraxonia Studer, 1887 Family : Melithaeidae Gray, 1870 Genus : Melithaea Milne-Edwards, 1857 Melithaea ochracea * * * * * * * 22. (Linnaeus, 1785) Melithaea ouvea (Grasshoff, _ _ * _ _ _ _ 23. 1999) Melithaea rubeola (Wright _ _ _ * _ _ _ 24. & Studer, 1889) Family : Isididae Lamouroux, 1812 Genus : Isis Linnaeus, 1758 25. Isis hippuris Linnaeus, 1758 _ _ * _ _ _ _ Family : Subergorgiidae Gray, 1859 Genus : Annella Gray, 1858 Annella mollis,Nutting, _ _ * _ * _ _ 26. 1910 Annella reticulata (Ellis & * _ * _ * * * 27. Solander, 1786) Genus : Subergorgia Gray, 1857 Subergorgia suberosa * * * * * * * 28. (Pallas, 1766) Total species 12 7 20 17 15 14 13 Total no of individuals 50 18 51 34 58 41 38 *present, - absent, Long Island (LI), Headlam Patch (HL), Guaiter Island (GI), North Passage Island (NP), Kalabahad (KB), Kalabahad Light house (KBL), Round Island (RI). Table 2 Jaccard Similarity indices between the Islands, Middle Andaman Islands. Name of the Island LI HL GI NP KB KBL RI LI 0.000 HL 0.583 GI 0.786 0.538 NP 0.846 0.583 0.786 KB 0.846 0.583 0.786 0.846 KBL 1.000 0.583 0.786 0.846 0.846 RI 1.000 0.583 0.786 0.846 0.846 1.000 0.000 Table 3 Correlation coefficient significant calculation between the Islands LI HL GI NP KB KBL RI LI 0.000 HL 0.786** GI 0.865** 0.880** NP 0.757** 0.924** 0.750** KB 0.772** 0.573* 0.719** 0.498 KBL 0.642* 0.883** 0.770** 0.875** 0.428 RI 0.878** 0.923** 0.890** 0.845** 0.722** 0.869** 0.000 ** Correlation is significant (P > 0.01) *Correlation is significant (P > 0.05) 100 KUMAR et al.: DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTION OF GORGONIANS Isis 4 Rumphella 3.2 2.4 Annella 1.6 Echinogorgia 0.8 Axis2 Subergorgia Menella GI NP VerrucellaLI HL Melithaea Dichotella 0 KB Ellisella RI KBL Junceella -0.8 Euplexaura Nicella -1.6 -2.4 Echinomuricea Figure 4 Principal Component Analysis (PCA) - Scatter -0.8 -0.4 0 0.4 0.8 1.2 1.6 2 2.4 Diagram between the Islands/sites in Middle Andaman. Axis 1 (ECH- Echinogorgia, ISI – Isis, RUM – Rumphella, MEN – Figure 5 De-trended Correspondence analysis based on Menella, ECM – Echinomuricea, NIC – Nicella, DIC – species diversity between the Islands/ sites, Middle Dichotella, EUP – Euplexaura, ANN – Annella, ELL – Andaman Islands.