Description of Favitesmonticularis sp. nov. (Faviidae) off North Andaman Islands, India

 

Tamal Mondal1, C. Raghunathan 2 & K. Venkataraman 3

 

1,2 Zoological Survey of India, National Coral Reef Research Institute, Port Blair, Andaman and Nicobar Islands 744102, India

3 Zoological Survey of India, Prani Vigyan Bhawan, M- Block, New Alipore, Kolkata, West Bengal 700053, India

1 t_genetics@yahoo.com (corresponding author), 2 raghuksc@rediffmail.com, 3 venkyzsi56@gmail.com

 

 

 

doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.11609/JoTT.o3224.4510-3  | ZooBank:urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:7DB0F983-8CAE-4674-8019-6E3A1A4B616B

 

Editor: S. AjmalKhan, Annamalai University, Parangipettai, India.            Date of publication: 26 June 2013 (online & print)

 

Manuscript details: Ms # o3224 | Received 20 December 2012 | Final received 06 April 2013 | Finally accepted 17 June 2013

 

Citation: Mondal, T., C. Raghunathan & K. Venkataraman(2013). Description of Favites monticularis sp. nov.(Faviidae) off North Andaman Islands, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 5(10): 4510–4513; http://dx.doi.org/10.11609/JoTT.o3224.4510-3

 

Copyright: © Mondalet al. 2013. Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. JoTTallows 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 and Forests, Government of India.

 

Competing Interest: None.

 

Acknowledgements: Authors are grateful to the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India for financial support and facilities provided.

 

 

 

For images, table -- click here

 

 

Scleractinian corals are described under 18 families. Among these, Faviidae is denoted as the second largest family having 126 species of corals belonging to 24 genera (Veron 2000).  Veron (1986) described the characteristics as well as differentiation among the genera such as Favia,Barabattoia, Favites, and Montastrea.  Veron (2000) summarized a total of 14 species of corals under the genus Favitesamong 16 extant species.  The described species under the genus Favites are flat, rounded, massive, encrusting with irregular compact organization.  Corallites aremonocentric and cerioidwith fused structural form with the presence of common wall which is acute.  Leafy walls are composed of 6–8 mm deep fossa. Calices are variable in structure such as oval, polygonal and angular with a series.  Several marginally spiny septa are developed from the fossa with prominent dentations.  Colonies are usually brown to green but the peristome region can be seen with contrasting colour.   The Andaman & Nicobar Islands represent diverse scleractinian corals of the genus Favites with new records of spinosa, paraflexuosa andmicropentagona (Mondalet al. 2010a,b).  These islands also represent a high diversity of scleractiniancorals at North and Middle Andaman & Ritchie’s Archipelago (Mondal et al. 2011, 2012a).  This paper deals with the taxonomic description of a species which bears a unique compelling character to be described as new to science.

Material and Methods: The holotype coral specimen was sampled from off Shibpur, Diglipur, North Andaman by self contained underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA) diving.  Collected material was kept in freshwater for six days to remove the mucous substances and air dried for examination. Morphological measurements were made with VernierCaliper (Aerospace 074 15376). Characteristic features of the specimen were examined under the Digital Stereozoom Microscope, Model Leica M 205 A.  Taxonomic characters of the specimen were studied in consultation with Veron et al. (1977) and Veron (2000).

 

Order: Scleractinia Bourne, 1900

Suborder:Faviina Vaughan and Wells, 1943

Family: Faviidae Gregory, 1900

Genus Favites Link, 1807

 

Favites monticularis sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:51885921-4955-4FB4-BE0B-113D1D4FCC12

 

Material Examined: Holotype: ZSI/ANRC-7410, 03.iii.2012, a small terminal portion of the observed colony (Image 1) was sampled at a depth of 14m in a reef area off Shibpur (13014.439’N & 92002.971’E), located at Diglipur, North Andaman. The area of the observed colony was about 1m2.

The measurement of the sample is as follows: length—3.5cm, width—2.1cm and height—1.5cm. Holotype is deposited in the National Zoological Collections of Zoological Survey of India, Port Blair.  Five colonies were observed from the same study area (Image 2).

Diagnostic characters: The colonies of Favites monticolarissp. nov. areencrusting, massive. Corallites are cerioid.  The diameter of the corallites is 6–10 mm.  Two septalcycles can be distinguished. Lengths of the septa are variable. The first order septa reach the columellawhile the second order may or may not. Paliform lobes are well developed, echinose in structure. Septal dentition is also well formed in echinose pattern. Columella is poorly developed and loose.  Septa are variable and exert over the theca forming conical-shaped monticule structures.  These are regular and variable in length of 2–3 mm according to corallitesstructure.  Due to the presence of monticules, the colonies appear as serially arranged upwards and downwards structures (Image 2).

Closely related species: Favites pentagona is a very closely related species. This species does not have a monticule like structure.  Favites monticolaris sp. nov. is also closely related to Hydnophora microconos in lateral view.

Colour: Colonies are green to brown in colour.  Centre of the corallites or columellais pale and the monticules are whitish in colour.

Etymology: Monticularis is based on the word monticule which means small hill or mound, as the species bears small hill (monticule) shaped structure on the septalwall, which distinguishes this species from other species of the genus Favites.

The presently described species has been compared with other 14 species of Favites reported from worldwide with their key taxonomical features (Table 1).

Discussion:The Andaman and Nicobar Islands harbor a great deal of scleractinian corals which makes this area one of the highly diversified reef areas in the Indo-Pacific region.  Favites monticularis sp. nov. is described as a new scleractinian coral species from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.  Although this species shows a close resemblance to Favites pentagona, in morphological characters - it also shows a distinct difference with the presence of monticule.  This character makes this species unique.  Apart from the described holotype of Favites monticularis reported from off Shibpur, five more colonies of the presently described species were observed from the same study area and subsequently three colonies at Neil Island (11050.857’N & 93001.140’E) and two colonies at Havelock Island (11053.274’N & 93001.439’E) during underwater status survey of scleractinian corals.  Mondal et al. (2012b) reported a total of 88 species of faviidswith 13 species of Favites from these groups of islands.   This new species under the genus Favites is not only an addition to scleractinian order but also new to science.

 

 

References

 

Link, H.T. (1807). Beischreibungder Naturalien Sammlungender Universitat zu Rostock. 3: 161–165.

Mondal, T., C. Raghunathan & K. Venkataraman (2012a). Scleractinian Diversity of Ritchie’s Archipelago, Andaman & Nicobar Island. Global Journal of Science Frontier Research 12(4): 53–64.

Mondal, T., C. Raghunathan & K. Venkataraman (2012b). An account of Faviid Corals of Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Research Journal of Science and Technology 4(2): 62–66.

Mondal, T., C. Raghunathan & K. Venkataraman (2011). Diversity of Scleractinian Corals in Middle and North Andaman Archipelago. World Journal of Zoology 6(4): 407–419.

Mondal, T., C. Raghunathan, C. Sivaperuman & Ramakrishna (2010a). Identification of Seven ScleractinianCorals from Andaman & Nicobar Island as New Record to Indian Water. Proceedings of Zoological Society 63(1): 61–66.

Mondal, T., C. Raghunathan & Ramakrishna (2010b). New Record of Thirteen Scleractinian Corals in Indian Waters from Middle and North Andaman. Biosystematica 4(2): 75–89.

Vaughan, T.W. & J.W. Wells (1943). Revisions of the sub-order, family and genera of the Scleractinia. Geological Society American Special Paper 44: 1–363.

Veron, J.E.N. (2000). Corals of the World - Volumes 1 & 3. Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, 463pp & 490pp.

Veron, J.E.N. (1986). Corals of Australia and the Indo-Pacific. Australian Institute of Marine Science and the University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu, 644pp.

Veron, J.E.N., M. Pichon & M. Wijsman-Best (1977). Scleractinia of eastern Australia, II. FamiliesFaviidae, Trachyphylliidae 3. Australian Institute of Marine Science, Monograph Series, 1–233pp.