OPEN ACCESS The Journal of Threatened Taxa fs dedfcated to bufldfng evfdence for conservafon globally by publfshfng peer-revfewed arfcles onlfne every month at a reasonably rapfd rate at www.threatenedtaxa.org . All arfcles publfshed fn JoTT are regfstered under Creafve Commons Atrfbufon 4.0 Internafonal Lfcense unless otherwfse menfoned. JoTT allows unrestrfcted use of arfcles fn any medfum, reproducfon, and dfstrfbufon by provfdfng adequate credft to the authors and the source of publfcafon. Journal of Threatened Taxa Bufldfng evfdence for conservafon globally www.threatenedtaxa.org ISSN 0974-7907 (Onlfne) | ISSN 0974-7893 (Prfnt) Note New records of Aplousobranch ascfdfans to Indfan waters from Andaman Islands Jhfmlf Mondal, C. Raghunathan & K. Venkataraman 26 February 2017 | Vol. 9| No. 2 | Pp. 9874–9880 10.11609/jot. 1876 .9.2. 9874-9880 For Focus, Scope, Afms, Polfcfes and Gufdelfnes vfsft htp://threatenedtaxa.org/About_JoTT.asp For Arfcle Submfssfon Gufdelfnes vfsft htp://threatenedtaxa.org/Submfssfon_Gufdelfnes.asp For Polfcfes agafnst Scfenffc Mfsconduct vfsft htp://threatenedtaxa.org/JoTT_Polfcy_agafnst_Scfenffc_Mfsconduct.asp For reprfnts contact <[email protected]> Publfsher/Host Partner Threatened Taxa Journal of Threatened Taxa | www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 February 2017 | 9(2): 9874–9880 Note Andaman & Nicobar Islands are New records of Aplousobranch ascidians a chain of 572 islands surrounded to Indian waters from Andaman Islands by Coco Channel in the north, 1 2 3 ISSN 0974-7907 (Online) Great Channel in the south, Jhimli Mondal , C. Raghunathan & K. Venkataraman ISSN 0974-7893 (Print) Andaman Sea in the east and the 1,2 Bay of Bengal in the west. These Zoological Survey of India, Andaman & Nicobar Regional Centre, National Coral Reef Research Institute, Haddo, Port Blair, OPEN ACCESS islands are biologically diverse with Andaman & Nicobar Islands 744102, India extensive fringing reefs around the 3 Zoological Survey of India, Prani Vigyan Bhawan, M-Block, continental shelf in the east, while New Alipore, Kolkata, West Bengal 700053, India 1 [email protected] (corresponding author), a barrier reef is also found in the 2 [email protected], 3 [email protected] western region which is 350km away from the coast (Venkataraman et al. 2003). The fascinating marine biodiversity of Andaman & Nicobar Islands emphasises Clavelina moluccensis, Atriolum robustum, Botrylloides the scope of a wide range of faunal communities to leachi, Perophora modificata, Didemnum molle, D. work with. Studies on corals, fishes, molluscs, crabs, sea sp., Phallusia arabica were reported from Andaman anemones and planktons of Andaman & Nicobar Islands & Nicobar Islands (Venkataraman et al. 2012). In have been carried out from a very early date, while 2014, Ananthan reported another 15 species, i.e., the ascidians are least studied from these areas. The Ascidia virginea, Ascidiella aspera, Clavelina oblonga, ascidians are well known primitive chordates, common Didemnum fulgens, D. vexillum, D. granulatum, D. in the coral reef ecosystem, and the only group of albidum, D. candidum, Trididemnum cyanophorum, chordate to represent retrogressive metamorphosis as a Diplosoma simile, D. spongiforme, Aplidium fuscum, developmental pattern (Ruppert et al. 2004). Ascidians Synoicum castellatum, Pycnoclavella diminuta and exhibit an ample range of habitat from intertidal zone Styela sp. from Great Nicobar Island (Ananthan 2014). to greater depth of ocean up to 6,500m (Kott 1969). The present paper deals with the taxonomic characters Ascidians are studied worldwide due to their fouling and distribution of two newly recorded aplousobranch and invasive nature (Lambert 2002; Minchin et al. 2006; ascidian species under two families from Indian waters, Lengyel et al. 2009; Locke 2009) and for their phylogenic of which the family Diazonidae is reported for the first importance (Wada 1998; Corbo et al. 2001; Monero time from Indian waters. & Rocha 2008). The taxonomical studies on Indian ascidians were mainly based on the coast of the Indian Material and Methods peninsula and a total of 388 species were also recorded Ascidians were collected using self contained (Meenakshi et al. 2003). Seven non-indigenous species underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA) diving gear were reported from Thoothikudi Port, India (Jaffarali et during June to October, 2014 in Andaman group of al. 2014). Till 2012, only seven species of ascidians, i.e., islands (Image 1). Defecation of collected samples were DOI: http://doi.org/10.11609/jott.1876.9.2.9874-9880 | ZooBank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:63E0212A-4265-4D66-8832-89907E1FE793 Editor: M. Nithyanandan, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, Salmiya, Kuwait. Date of publication: 26 February 2017 (online & print) Manuscript details: Ms # 1876 | Received 11 May 2016 | Final received 19 December 2016 | Finally accepted 24 January 2017 Citation: Mondal, J., C. Raghunathan & K. Venkataraman (2017). New records of Aplousobranch ascidians to Indian waters from Andaman Islands. Journal of Threatened Taxa 9(2): 9874–9880; http://doi.org/10.11609/jott.1876.9.2.9874-9880 Copyright: © Mondal et al. 2017. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. JoTT allows unrestricted use of this article in any medium, reproduction and distribution by providing adequate credit to the authors and the source of publication. Funding: Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests. Acknowledgements: Authors are grateful to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India for providing financial support. Thanks are also extended to the Department of Environment and Forests, AndamanLOGOs and Nicobar Islands for extending logistic supports. 9874 New records of Aplousobranch from Andaman Islands Mondal et al. Class: Ascidiacea Blainville, 1824 Order: Aplousobranchia Lahille, 1886 Family: Diazonidae Seeliger, 1906 Genus: Rhopalaea Philippi, 1843 Rhopalaea macrothorax (Herdman, 1880) (Image 2) Material examined: A total of 10 specimens were sampled and examined during June 2014 at Pongibalu Jetty (11030.956’N & 92039.206’E), South Andaman at a depth of 12m (Image 1) for taxonomical characterization. All the specimens were deposited in the National Zoological Collection (Reg. No.: ZSI/ANRC - 11418 (1 specimen); ZSI/ANRC - 16554 (9 specimens). The same species has also been recorded from the Peacock Island (13033.692’N & 93003.119’E) of North Andaman and Riflemen Island (11030.837’N & 92038.767’E) of South Andaman. All the specimens were collected from the reef area, collection depth varies from 8–26 m. Description: External morphology: Only thorax part is clearly visible during in situ condition like the individuals of other species under the genus Rhopalaea (Image 2a). Zooids are solitary, finger-like about 3–4.5 cm (Image 2a,b). Thoracic part of the body is 1.5–2 cm (Image 2c). Test is delicate anteriorly but became firm posteriorly, with many irregular protuberances on the test surface (Image 2b). Basally the test produced ramified root-like extensions to adhere to the sand surface, sometimes sands are embedded in the posterior part of the test. The embedded sands, shell fragments and coral rubbles Image 1. Study areas in Andaman Islands are hard to remove from these extensions. Didemnid ascidians and other organisms are attached with the abdominal test. Collected specimens have completely carried out with magnesium sulphate crystals and then transparent thoracic test along with translucent narcotized with menthol crystals following Meenakshi abdominal test. Both the branchial and atrial apertures et al. (2003) and preserved with 4% formaldehyde- have six lobes. Yellow coloured ocelli between each seawater solution. Dissection was carried out under lobe in both the branchial and atrial apertures are Labomed CZM4 microscope and digitization of detailed clearly visible underwater and also persist in the anatomy was carried out under Leica M205A stereo preserved state (Image 2c). Terminal branchial aperture zoom microscope. Identification of the specimens was and antero-dorsal atrial aperture are directed upwards. made in conjunction with Tokioka (1953), Monniot & A blue ring-like structure is also noticeable surrounding Monniot (2008), and Kott (1990) following the taxonomic the branchial aperture though it is interrupted at the characters described by them. The specimens were mantle over peritrabecular area and at the end of registered and deposited in the National Zoological the endostyle (Image 2a), a blue line runs along the Collections of Zoological Survey of India, Port Blair. endostyle and both are found in situ as well as in the preserved state. No conspicuous yellow spot was found Results in the test. A yellow coloured pigment spot was clearly Two species of ascidians were recorded as new visible on the mantle over the peritrabercular area and to Indian waters from around Andaman Islands. The at the end of endostyle while a yellow coloured ring taxonomical details with distributional pattern are like structure was found surrounding the anal border, illustrated below. traces were also found in the preserved specimen. A pinkish abdomen which is situated entirely posterior to Journal of Threatened Taxa | www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 February 2017 | 9(2): 9874–9880 9875 New records of Aplousobranch from Andaman Islands Mondal et al. a b c d Image 2. Rhopalaea macrothorax Tokioka, 1953. a - Specimen at in situ condition;