Efforts to arrest the decline of carnivorous mammals in isolated ecosystems have received little attention in India. The present study assesses the population density of a small Golden Jackal population, isolated on a water covered Pirotan Island in the Gulf of Kachchh Marine National Park, India. An average of 12 Golden Jackals/km2 was found inhabiting the Island. The scat analysis revealed that the major diet of jackals was crab (89.5±2.36 %) followed by fish (2.7±0.82 %). Only 2.1% of their diets were from the Island source. They have well adapted to manage their water needs from their obligatory feeding habits.
Background: West coast of India is characterized by the presence of rich rocky out-crops with a diversity of poorly illuminated vertical rocky walls, crevices, caves, tunnels and overhangs. Though these are the typical environment for azooxanthellate scleratinian corals, there is no report available on these corals from this region. Methods: In situ observations including photography were made by SCUBA diving Collected specimens were soaked in fresh water and then in sodium hypochlorite solution for cleaning. Finer details of coralla were photographed using a stereoscopic microscope.Result: The present account reported three species of azooxanthellate corals namely Balanophyllia cumingii Milne Edwards & Haime, 1848, Dentrophyllia indica Pillai, 1969 and Paracyathus profundus Duncan, 1889 for the first time from the rocky out-crops off Goa, mid-west coast of India and illustrated with in situ morphological characters of the species recorded. Conclusion: Despite their rich biodiversity, the seas and the deep shelf regions adjacent to India have had few surveys and limited reports (34 species) only are available on the occurrence of azooxanthellate corals. Detailed further studies along the coast would unveil the presence of more number of species.
Some colonies of Porites sp. at Poshitra Reef were spotted with pink swollen nodules. These nodules are termed as a condition called “Porites trematodiasis” which is due to an infection of digenetic trematodes. The temperature fluctuation and anthropogenic pressures are perhaps the reasons. This situation indicates that if the corals fail to develop disease resistance and thermal tolerance, the reefs along the Indian subcontinent may experience a phase shift in community structure, which could impact fisheries.
The occurrence of the pink pipefish, Bryx analicarens (Duncker, 1915), is reported for the first time from Indian waters. The geographical distribution of the species extends from east Africa, the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman to Pakistan and now to the west coast of India. Although a total of 32 pipefish species have hitherto been reported from India, the presently reported finding of B. analicarens constitutes the first record of the genus from the country. Morphometric characters, like the absence of the anal fin, the number of trunk rings (15) and tails rings (34), and dorsal fin rays (25) distinguish the species from other species in the region. Bryx analicarens differs from its congeners by having alternately arranged irregular brownish and white bands along the snout. The presently reported study also emphasizes the need for a detailed study of syngnathid biodiversity and a stock assessment of the coral reef ecosystems of the Gulf of Kachchh Marine National Park and Sanctuary for developing conservation strategies.
Reef-building corals are generally confined to tropical waters across the world oceans. But some coral species are able to tolerate even inhospitable environments and suboptimal extremes, and form lower diversity reefs habitats such as the Gulf of Kachchh, located along the northwestern coast of India. Among the reported hard coral species so far from the Gulf of Kachchh, genus Psammocora is represented by only one species, P. digitata. The present study confirmed a new distribution record of Psammocora contigua from Narara Island. Due to the changing hydro-geographic conditions in the Kachchh region, ramose and branching coral species have been believed to be extinct completely, leaving no sign of live colonies. P. contigua, recorded during the present study is the only living species with ramose growth form recorded so far from the Kachchh waters. The present study also holds out hope to record more new coral species records from the region.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.