Indian Journal of Geo-Marine Sciences Vol. 41 (3), June 2012, pp. 212-214
New record of Carijoa riisei at Wandoor-Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park [MGMNP], Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India Dhivya. P, V. Sachithanandam & P.M. Mohan* Department of Ocean Studies and Marine Biology, Pondicherry University, Brookshabad Campus, Post Bag No. 26, Port Blair – 744 112, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India * [E-mail:
[email protected]] Received 1August 2011; revised 05 December 2011 Present paper reports the first record of Carijoa riisei (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1860) in the Wandoor Jetty-Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Parks, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India. [Keywords: Snowflake Coral, Orange Soft coral, Branched Pipe Coral, Carijoa riisei, Andaman and Nicobar Islands]
Introduction Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park (MGMNP), Wandoor initiated on 1983 under the Wildlife Protection Act (1972) for protecting the marine life. It is located on the south western coast of south Andaman, Bay of Bengal, encompassing 15 islands and covers 281.5 sq km. Carijoa riisei species is reported as major biofouler in Atlantic region1. The same is recently reported in Gulf of Mannar2.
The common name of this species is snowflake coral, branched pipe coral and orange soft coral. Carijoa riisei (Fig. 2) is a highly successful invasive species found in the Wandoor Jetty of
Materials and Methods Samples were collected during the faunal diversity survey at Wandoor Jetty of Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park (Fig. 1), on 30th June 2009 from latitude 11º35’ 24” N and longitude 92º 36’ 89” E. Collected specimen was identified following the keys of DeVictor and Morton3. Further confirmation of this species was also carried out by sclerite examination3,4. Results and Discussion Kingdom – Animalia Phylum – Cnidaria Class – Anthozoa Subclass – Octocorallia Order – Alcyonacea Suborder – Stolonifera Family – Clavulariidae Genus – Carijoa Species – riisei5
Fig: 1—Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park (Wandoor)
DHIVYA et al.: NEW RECORD OF CARIJOA RIISEI AT WANDOOR-MAHATMA GANDHI MARINE NATIONAL PARK 213
Fig.3—Carijoa riisei polyps structure in active stage
Fig.2—Active Tentacles of Carijoa riisei
Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park. This species recorded first time in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Identified species deposited and registered in the Andaman Regional Station, Zoological Survey of India, Port Blair and the Registration Number is ZSI/ANRC-5596.
Fig.4—Sclerites structure of Carijoa riisei
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Description The Carijoa riisei colonies are bushy and densely branching with 5-8 cm long, bright orange, white, and beige in colour. Polyps are arranged along the length of the branch and eight white tentacles with short lateral polyp were noticed in each polyp (Fig. 3). The identified sclerites of this species are slender, branching, ends are not blunt, white in colour and thorny (Fig. 4). Key Identification Features •
Eight white pinnate tentacles, like the rays of a snowflake.
Each tall axial polyp has many short lateral polyps. This soft coral has two extra tentacles than stony coral (six tentacles). Sclerites are slender, branching, ends are not blunt and thorny.
The species Telesto sanguine, Telesto fruticulosa and Telesto nelleae are similar character as of Carijoa riisei with minor morphological variations. Distribution Common habitat of this species is the harbors, pier pilings or wrecks which are not exposed to direct sunlight or in sheltered and shaded crevices or shallow caves. Carijoa riisei (azooxanthellate) first reported in Pacific Ocean, Hawaiian Islands, Pearl harbor6. Native of this species is tropical western Atlantic region, Florida to Brazil and are
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widely distributed from circum-tropical (Atlantic & Indo-West Pacific) location at a depth from low tide to 732 m. The success of the Carijoa riisei is to setttle and grow on the other stationary organisms like corals and shellfish and shows explosive growth than the smooth competators of corals and shellfish. It has the continuous higher rate of fecundity (hundreds of eggs per axial poly) than corals. As reported by Kahng et al.7 the fast dispersal of larvae along the ocean currents leads to wide range of distribution of this species and may displace the native species of MGMNP. In Indian waters there have been 24 invasive species reported, however, till date the present species has not been reported as an invasive species in this database8. Present survey in the MGMNP islands has not identified any impact of this species till date. If this invasive species of Carijoa riisei proliferated in the coralline environment of Andaman Islands, it may reduce the hard coral survival and lead to the destruction of the same in this part of the islands as noticed in the Hawaii Islands9. This species distribution has to be monitored continuously to understand the impact on the native species. Acknowledgement Authors are thankful to Dr.V.N.Sanjeevan, Director, Central Marine Living Resources and Ecology (CMLRE), Ministry of Earth Sciences, Kochi for funding this work and to Mr. Ali Akbar, Ranger, Department of Environment and Forest,
Andaman and Nicobar Islands Administration and other officers for facilities. Authors acknowledged the authorities of Pondicherry University to provide facilities to execute this project. References 1
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Concepcion, G.T., Kahng, S.E., Crepeau, M.W., Franklin, E.C., Coles, S.L. and Toonen, R.J., Resolving natural ranges and marine invasions in a globally distributed octocoral (Genus Carijoa). Marine Ecology Progrss Series, V.401 (2010) pp.113-127. Padmakumar, K., Chandran, R., Yogesh Kumar, J.S. and Sornaraj, R., Carijoa riisei (Cnidaria: Octocorallia: Clavulariidae), a newly observed threat to Gulf of Mannar coral biodiversity? Current Science, V.100 (2011) pp.35-37. DeVictor, S.T., Morton, S.L., An identification guide to shallow water (0-200m) Octocorals of the South Atlantic Bight. Zootaxav 2599(2007) pp.1-62. Janes, M.P., Laboratory methods for the identification of soft corals (Octocorallia: Alcyonacea), in: Advances in Coral Husbandry in Public Aquariums. Public Aquarium Husbandry Series, vol.2, edited by R.J. Leewis and M. Janse, (Burgers’ Zoo, Arnhem, the Netherlands). 2008, pp.413-426. Duchassaing, P. and Michelotti, J., Mémoire sur les Coralliaires des Antilles, Vol Imprimerie Royale, Turin. (1860). Evans, E.C., Buske, N.L., Grovhoub, J.G. Guinther, E.B, and others., Pearl Harbor biological survey—final report., NUC TN 1128., Naval Undersea Center, San Diego Report No NUC TN 1128(1974). Kahng, S.E, Benayahu, Y., Wagner, D. and Rothe, N., Sexual reproduction in the invasive octocoral Carijoa riisei in Hawaii. Bulletin of Marine Science, V.82 (2008) pp.1-17. Global Invasive Data Base; http://www.issg.org/database Hawaii Invasive Species Council: http://www. hawaiiinvasivespecies.org/pests/snowflakecoral.html
