Octocorallia (Cnidaria, Anthozoa) comprising over 3,600 nominal species within three orders, Alcyonacea, Helioporacea and Pennatulacea, is one of the most poorly known groups of marine invertebrates. Half of known octocoral species occur in the Indo-Pacific, but not much is understood about research efforts and outputs in this region, particularly in the Asian context. A review of the literature on Asian octocorals during a 40-year period from 1978 to 2018 revealed that most research was concentrated in particular regions/countries. An analysis of research originating from India indicated several issues, including low quality data and local taxonomic impediment. This paper examines the general trends and geographic disparity in Asian octocoral research over the past four decades, analyses the extent and source of such disparity by drawing parallels between India and the rest of Asia, and provides recommendations for improving octocoral studies in the region.
The syngnathiform genus Corythoichthys comprises a group of taxonomically complex, tail‐brooding (Syngnathinae) pipefishes widely distributed in the Indo‐Pacific region. Due to the presence of overlapping interspecific morphological characters, reliable taxonomic information on Corythoichthys is still lacking. Using 52 CO1 sequences, including seven newly generated, a phylogenetic analysis was carried out to understand the genetic diversity, distribution and ‘species groups’ within the genus Corythoichthys. Species delimitation using Automatic Barcode Gap Discovery (ABGD) analysis confirmed the presence of 13 species which include ‘species‐complexes’ previously considered as a single taxon. Our results revealed the presence of three species groups, ‘C. amplexus’, ‘C. conspicillatus’ and ‘C. haematopterus’ and four unidentified/undescribed species in the wider Indo‐Pacific realm. Interestingly, 60 sequences and a mitogenome identified as Corythoichthys in GenBank are misidentified at the genus level. Based on our findings, we suggest that the taxonomy and systematics of Corythoichthys need to be re‐examined and validated using integrative methods, and care should be taken while selecting specimens for genetic studies.
Fishers’ awareness and attitudes towards conservation policies may vary, but can serve as important pointers towards assessing their on-ground implementation and success. We conducted a questionnaire survey across six coastal states and two island territories of India, with an aim to critically evaluate the socio-demographic factors that influence knowledge, perception and conservation attitudes of fishers towards protected marine species. Using gorgonians, seahorses and pipefishes as proxies, we assessed the differences in the fishers’ awareness and conservation attitudes towards marine taxa protected through the Wildlife (Protection) Act (WLPA) 1972. Our observations revealed divergent perceptions among respondents (fishers) with greater awareness towards seahorses, followed by gorgonians and pipefishes, respectively. The low level of awareness on legal status of the focal taxa among the fishers is also a direct indication of how key stakeholders are largely misinformed on WLPA. Nevertheless, our results also showed that a better awareness on the focal taxa tends to influence the positive conservation attitudes of fishers. Based on fishers’ perceptions and conservation attitudes, we constructed a priority matrix to identify priority areas that could help strengthen the implementation and enforcement of existing conservation policies. Despite existing conservation and management strategies such as Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and the WLPA, all locations along the coast of Tamil Nadu and Odisha were identified as priority areas. Thus, we contend on the importance of improving stakeholder awareness on management policies for better compliance and conservation engagement. Also, we advocate for holistic management strategies that should look beyond the currently-known legal framework (WLPA) that appears to be largely ineffective for several protected marine taxa in India.
Seahorses comprise a charismatic, high-value and high conservation-concern group of fishes, whose demographics, including the dynamics of populations, are poorly studied. In this paper, we fill this key knowledge gap by determining the population dynamics of two threatened species, Hippocampus kuda and H. trimaculatus, from the south-east coast of India using samples encountered in trawl by-catch. Hippocampus kuda showed a comparatively greater asymptotic length, whereas H. trimaculatus had a greater growth coefficient and growth performance index. Further, H. trimaculatus showed two recruitment peaks (March/April and December) in a year, against a single peak (February) for H. kuda. An assessment of mortality rates (instantaneous total, natural and fishing) indicated a high vulnerability of the local population of both species to fishing pressure. Hippocampus kuda had a greater mean length at first capture than H. trimaculatus. Biomass-per-recruit analysis showed that the exploitation of H. kuda is closer to the exploitation rates under which stock will be reduced to half the unexploited biomass, suggesting their extreme vulnerability to overexploitation, even as ‘by-catch’. Demographic parameters of the two threatened seahorses indicated that even as ‘incidental catch’, these species are vulnerable to overfishing, and species-specific conservation guidelines need to be developed and their on-ground implementation and enforcement ensured.
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