Record of Phyllidiella zeylanica (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Opisthobranchia) after 42
years from Gujarat, India
Manoj
Matwal 1 & Dhiresh Joshi 2
1,2 Wildlife
Trust of India F-13, Sector -8, Noida, Uttar Pradesh 201301, India
1 Deepkamal
Apartments II floor, Opp. KCC Cricket Ground, Veraval, Gujarat 362265
2 4 Akar
Apartments, 12 New Brahmashastria Society, Paldi, Gujarat, India
Email: 1 manojmatwal@gmail.com (corresponding author); 2 dhiresh@wti.org.in
Date of
publication (online): 26 July 2011
Date of
publication (print): 26 July 2011
ISSN
0974-7907 (online) | 0974-7893 (print)
Editor: Deepak Apte
Manuscript details:
Ms # o2769
Received 22 April 2011
Final received 20 May 2011
Finally accepted 13 June 2011
Citation: Matwal, M.
& D. Joshi (2011). Record of Phyllidiella zeylanica (Mollusca: Gastropoda:
Opisthobranchia) after 42 years from Gujarat, India. Journal
of Threatened Taxa 3(7): 1951–1954.
Copyright: © Manoj
Matwal & Dhiresh Joshi 2011. Creative Commons Attribution
3.0 Unported License. JoTT allows unrestricted use of this article in
any medium for non-profit purposes, reproduction and distribution by providing
adequate credit to the authors and the source of publication.
Acknowledgements: The Authors
wish to acknowledge the constant support and encouragement received from our
partners TATA CHEMICALS Ltd. We
are also thankful to Deepak Apte and Vishal Bhave of the Bombay Natural History
Society for providing necessary information, literature and identification review.
Nudibranchs
belonging to the subclass Opisthobranchia are among the least studied molluscs
in India. The work done on
opisthobranchs in India is sparse and patchy. The earlier works date back to the 1880s by Alder
& Hancock (1864), Kelaart (1858a,b; 1859a,b,c;
1883) and Bergh (1877). Notable
works on Indian Opisthobranchia are by Gardiner (1903), Eliot (1905, 1906a,b,c, 1909a,b, 1910a,b, 1916), Farran (1905), Hornell
(1909a,b, 1949, 1951), O’Donoghue (1932), Rao (1936, 1952, 1961), Satyamurthi
(1952), Rao & Alagarswami (1960), Burn (1970), Rao et al. (1974), Rao & Rao (1980), Valdés et
al. (1999) and Fontana et al. (2001).
In
recent times Apte (2009), Apte & Bhave (2010, 2011), Raghunathan (2010),
Ramakrishna et al. (2010), Sreeraj et al. (2010) and Apte & Salahuddin (2011)
studied opisthobranch fauna of India.
Work
on marine fauna of Gujarat, specifically the Gulf of Kutch and its adjoining
areas, was first initiated by Hornell (1909a,b) and was continued by Eliot
(1909), Gideon et al. (1957), Kundu
(1965), Narayanan (1968, 1969, 1970, 1971a,b), Burn (1970), Menon et al. (1970), Rudman (1980) and Deomurari
(2006). The most
comprehensive work on ophisthobranchs of the Gulf of Kutch was that by
Narayanan (1968, 1969, 1970, 1971a,b) after that, for a long time no such
focused studies were conducted and the only recent information from this area
about nudibranchs comes from the checklist prepared by Apte et al. (2010).
Two
specimens of Phyllidiella zeylanica(Kelaart, 1859) measuring 20 and 22 mm were first reported at Pirotan Island,
Gulf of Kutch by Narayanan (1968). Since then this species was never reported in any study or research work
done on the marine fauna of Gujarat.
Location:This interesting sighting occurred on 03
April 2010 during a regular coral monitoring survey under “Coral reef
restoration programme” by the Wildlife Trust of India at Mithapur reef” (22025.672’N
& 68059.510’E), at a depth of 1.5m on dead corals substrate
(Images 1 & 2).
Description:Presently reported (23–24 mm)
individual has identical external morphological features
which typify P. zeylanica. The dorsal surface of the mantle has
five longitudinal rows of pink tubercles which are
arranged in a semicircular fashion along the anterior and posterior margins
except the median one. Irregular
tubercles are arranged in a group of two or three. Median ridge forms a canal like structure at the centre which is filled in by black lines. These lines, excepting the median one
are all along the posterior and anterior margins in a semicircular fashion
(Narayanan 1969). The reported
individual also possessed the same rough ridges whichare the typical features for this species (Brunckhorst 1993). Rhinophores are black with colourless
stalks. The foot sole is white.
Discussion:Though Phyllidiella zeylanica is a common nudibranch
species in Lakshadweep and Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Apte 2009; Ramakrishna
et al. 2010; Sreeraj et al.2010), its occurrence in Gujarat and particularly in the Gulf of Kutch is
rare. This probably is due to the
lack of studies on the opisthobranchs in this region. It is important to have conservation based systematic and
comprehensive studies on these animals so that base line information may be
generated on these animals and their habitat.
References
Alder, J. & A. Hancock (1864). Notice on the collection of Nudibranchiate
mollusca made in India by Walter Eliot Esq. with descriptions of several new
genera and species. Transactions of the Zoological Society of London 5:
117–147.
Apte,
D.A. (2009). Opisthobranch fauna of
Lakshadweep Islands, India with 52 new records to Lakshadweep and 40 new
records to India. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 106(2):
162–175.
Apte,
D.A., V. Bhave & D. Parasharya (2010). An
annotated and illustrated checklist of the opisthobranch fauna of Gulf of
Kutch, Gujarat, India with 20 new records for Gujarat and 14 new records for
India—Part 1. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society107(1): 14–23.
Apte, D.A. & V. Bhave (2011). Fourteen
new records of opisthobranchs from Lakshadweep, India—Part 2. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. (in press)
Apte, D.A. & V. K. Salahuddin (2011). Record ofHexabranchus
sanguineus (Rüppell & Leuckart 1828) from Lakshadweep Archipelago,
India. Journal of the Bombay Natural History
Society. (in press)
Bergh,
L.S.R. (1877). Malacologische Untersuchungen. In:
Semper, C.G. (ed.). Reisen im Archipel der Philippinen,
Wissenschaftliche Resultate Band 2, Heft 12: 495–546, pls. 58–61.
Brunckhorst,
D.J. (1993). The systematics and
phylogeny of PhyllidiidNudibranchs (Doridoidea). Records of the Australian Museum, Supplement16: 1–107.
Burn,
R. (1970). Phyllidia (Phyllidiella zeylanica) Kelaart,
a rare nudibranch from the Indian subcontinent. Momoirs of National Museum of Victoria31: 37–40.
Deomurari,
A. (2006). Berthellina citrina from the Gulf
of Kutch, India. In: Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. <http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/1718>.
Downloaded on 29 July 2006.
Eliot,
C. (1905). Nudibranchs of the
Indo-Pacific Islands. Notes on a collection dredged near Karachi and
Maskat. Journal of Conchology 11(8):
237–256
Eliot,
C.N.E. (1906a). On the nudibranchs of southern India and
Ceylon, with special reference to the drawings by Kelaart and the collections
belonging to Alder and Hancock preserved in the Hancock Museum at
Newcastle-on-Tyne. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London,
636–691pp.
Eliot,
C.N.E. (1906b). On the nudibranchs of southern India and
Ceylon, with special reference to the drawings by Kelaart and the collections
belonging to Alder and Hancock preserved in the Hancock Museum at
Newcastle-on-Tyne. No. 2. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London,
999–1008pp.
Eliot,
C.N.E. (1906c). Nudibranchiata, with
some remarks on the families and genera and description of a new genus,
Doridomorpha, pp. 540–573, pl. 32. In: Gardiner, J.S. (ed.). The fauna and geography of the Maldive and Laccadive Archipelagoes,
being the account of the work carried on and of the collections made by an
expedition during the years 1899 and 1900,
Vol. 2.
Eliot,
C.N.E. (1909a). Report on the nudibranchs collected by Mr.
James Hornell at Okhamandal in Kattiawar in 1905-06. In: Report to the
government of Baroda on the marine zoology of Okhamandal, 137–145pp.
Eliot,
C.N.E. (1909b). Notes on a collection
of nudibranchs from Ceylon. Spolia Zeylanica, Colombo 6(23): 79–95.
Eliot,
C.N.E. (1910a). Nudibranchs collected by Mr. Stanley
Gardiner from the Indian Ocean in H.M.S. Sealark. In: Reports of the Percy
Sladen Trust Expedition to the Indian Ocean in 1905, under the leadership of
Mr. J. Stanley Gardiner, M.A. Transactions of the Linnaean Society, Zoology(Series 2), 13(2):
411–439.
Eliot,
C.N.E. (1910b). Notes on nudibranchs
from the Indian museum. Records of the Indian Museum 5(4):
247–252.
Eliot,
C.N.E. (1916). Mollusca Nudibranchiata. In:
Fauna of the Chilka Lake. Memoirs of the Indian Museum 5:
375–380.
Eliot,
C. (1909). Report on the Nudibranchs collected by
Mr. James Hornell at Okhamandal in Kattiawar in 1905–06. James Hornell’s
report to the Government of Baroda on the marine zoology of the Okhamandal in
Kattiawar, Williams and Norgate, London, 137–145pp.
Farran,
G.P. (1905). Report on the Opisthobranchiate Mollusca
collected by Prof. Herdman. In: W.A. Herdman’s report on the pearl oyster
fisheries of the Gulf of Mannar. The Ray Society, London, 29–364pp.
Fontana,
A., M.L. Ciavatta, L. D’Souza, E.Mollo, C.G. Naik, P.S. Parameswaran, S.
Wahidulla & G. Cimino (2001). Selected
chemo-ecological studies of marine opisthobranchs from Indian coasts. Journal of the Indian Institute of Science 81(4): 403–415.
Gardiner,
J.S. (1903). The Fauna and Geography of The Maldives and Laccadive Archipelagoes--—Vol.
2. Cambridge University Press, 1080pp.
Gideon,
P.W, K.B. Menon, S.R.V. Rao & K.V. Jose (1957). On
the marine fauna of the Gulf of Kutch a preliminary survey. Journal of the Bombay Natural History
Society 54(3): 690–706.
Hornell,
J. (1909a). Report to the
Government of Baroda on the marine zoology of Okhamandal in Kattiawar, Williams
and Norgate, London, 1pp.
Hornell,
J. (1909b). A note on the presence
of symbiotic algae in the integuments of nudibranchs of the genus Melibe.In: Report to the government of Baroda on the marine zoology of Okhamandal, 1,
145–148pp.
Hornell,
J. (1949). The study of Indian
molluscs (part II). Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 48(3):
543–569.
Hornell,
J. (1951). Indian molluscs. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 1–96,
pl+1.
Kelaart,
E.F. (1858a). Descriptions of new and
little known species of Ceylon nudibranchiate molluscs and zoophytes. Journal of the Ceylon Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society 3(1):
84–139.
Kelaart,
E.F. (1858b). Description of a new
Ceylonese nudibranch. Annals and Magazine of Natural History (Series 3), 1(4): 257–258.
Kelaart,
E.F. (1859a). Descriptions of new and little-known
species of Ceylonese nudibranchiate molluscs. Annals and Magazine of Natural History (Series 3), 3: 291–304.
Kelaart,
E.F. (1859b). Descriptions of new and little-known
species of Ceylonese nudibranchiate molluscs. Annals and Magazine of Natural History (Series 3), 3: 488–496.
Kelaart,
E.F. (1859c). On some additional
species of nudibranchiate molluscs from Ceylon. Annals and Magazine of Natural History (Series 3), 4: 267–270.
Kelaart,
E.F. (1883). New and little known
species of Ceylon nudibranchiate molluscs, and zoophytes. Journal of the Ceylon Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society3(9): 76–125.
Kundu,
H.L. (1965). On the marine fauna of the Gulf of Kutch:
Part 3 - Pelecypods. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 62(2):
84–103.
Menon,
P.K.B., A.K. Dattagupta & D. Dasgupta (1970). On the marine fauna of the Gulf of Kutch. Journal of the Bombay Natural History
Society 58(2): 475–494, pls. 1–10.
Narayanan,
K.R. (1968). On three opisthobranchs from the south-west coast of India. Journal of Madras Biological Association of India 10(2):
377–380; figs. 1–2.
Narayanan,
K.R. (1969). On the
opisthobranchiate fauna of the Gulf of Kutch. Proceedings of the
Symposium on Mollusca held at Cochin from January 12 to 16, 1968, Symposium
Series 3, pt. 1, pp. 189–213; figs. 1–20. Marine Biological Association of India, Mandapam Camp, India.
Narayanan,
K.R. (1970). On a species of the
genus Berthellina(Opisthobranchia: Notaspidea) of the Gulf of Kutch. Journal of the Marine Biological
Association of India 12: 210–213.
Narayanan,
K.R. (1971a). On two doridacean
nudibranchs (Mollusca: Gastropoda), from the Gulf of Kutch, new to the Indian
coast. Journal of Bombay Natural History Society 68(1):
280–281.
Narayanan,
K.R. (1971b). On a species of the
genus Berthellina(Opisthobranchia: Notaspidea) of the Gulf of Kutch. Journal Madras Biological Association of
India 12(1–2): 210–212.
O’Donoghue,
C.H. (1932). Notes on Nudibranchata
from southern India. Proceedings of the Malacological Society
of London ( 20):
141–166.
Raghunathan,
C., C. Sivaperuman and Ramakrishna (2010). An account of newly recorded five species
of nudibranchs (Opisthobranchia, Gastropoda) in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, pp
283–288. In: Ramakrishna, C. Raghunathan & C. Sivaperuman (eds.). Recent Trends in Biodiversity of Andaman
and Nicobar Islands,
Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata, xxiv+542pp.
Ramakrishna,
C.R. Sreeraj, C. Raghunathan, C. Sivaperuman, J.S. Yogesh Kumar, R. Raghuraman,
Titus Immanuel and P.T. Rajan (2010).Guide to opisthobranchs of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Zoological Survey of
India, Kolkata, 196pp.
Rao,
K.V. (1936). Morphology of the Kalinga ornata (Alder
and Hancock). Records of the Indian Musesum(38): 41–79.
Rao,
K.V. (1952). Cuthona adayarensis, A new
Nudibranch (Mollusca: Gastropoda) from Madras. Journal of the Zoological Society of India, Calcutta (3): 229–238.
Rao,
K.V. (1961). On the two opisthobranchiate molluscs, Placobranchus ocellatus Hasselt and Discodoris boholiensis Bergh from Indian waters not hitherto
been recorded. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of India 3(1&2):
253–259.
Rao,
K.V. & K. Alagarswami (1960). An
account and the structure of early development of a new species of
nudibranchiate gastropod, Eolidina (Eolidina) mannarensis. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of India2(1): 6–16.
Rao, N.V. & K.V.S. Rao (1980). On a rare nudibranch, Thordisa crosslandi Eliot (Mollusca: Dorididae) from the west
coast of India. Bulletin Zoological Survey of India 2(2–3):
219, pl. IV.
Rao,
K.V., P. Sivadas & L.K. Kumary (1974). On three rare doridiform nudibranch
molluscs from Kavaratti Lagoon, Laccadive Islands. Journal of the Marine Biological
Association of India 16(1): 113–125.
Rudman,
W.B. (1980). Aeolid opisthobranch molluscs (Glaucidae)
from the Indian Ocean and the south-west Pacific. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society (68): 139–172.
Satyamurthi,
S.T. (1952). The mollusca of
Krusadai Island. 1. Amphineura and Gastropoda. Bulletin of Madras Government Museum (Natural History)1(2): 216–251.
Sreeraj,
C.R., P.T. Rajan, R. Raghukumaran, C. Raghunathan, R. Rajkumar Rajan, Titus
Immanuel and Ramakrishna (2010). On some new records of
sea slugs (Class Gastropoda, Sub Class Opisthobranchia) from Andaman and
Nicobar Islands, pp. 289–298. In: Ramakrishna, C. Raghunathan
& C. Sivaperuman (eds.). Recent Trends in Biodiversity of Andaman and Nicobar
Islands,
Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata, xxiv+542pp
Valdés,
A., E. Mollo & J.A. Ortea (1999). Two new species of Chromodoris (Mollusca, Nudibranchia, Chromodorodidae)
from southern India, with a re-description of Chromodoris trimarginata (Winckworth, 1946). Proceedings of the California Academy of
Sciences 51(13): 461–472.