Occurrence, prevalence and molecular characterization of Norileca indica (Milne Edwards, 1840) (Isopoda: Cymothoidae) on bigeyescad Selar crumenophthalmus (Bloch) from Andaman Islands India

452-456The present investigation reports the occurrence and prevalence of the parasitic cymothoid, Norileca indica infesting bigeyescad, Selar crumenophthalmus from the Andaman Islands. Damage in the form of erosion of gill filament and necrosis in the gill chamber of the host fish, with a prevalence of 26.08% and a mean intensity of 1.5 is recorded. Molecular characterization of the mitochondrial COI and 28S rDNA genes is done to establish its phylogenetic status with its known congener. The present report is the first record of N. indica infesting S. crumenophthalmus from the Andaman Islands

Aquatic Ecosystem Health and Management

Not AvailableThis article examines the non - native fishes in the freshwater bodies of Andaman and Nicobar Islands with a focus on understanding the perception of stakeholders towards providing management solutions. A total of 56 freshwater fish species were reported from Andaman and Nicobar Islands of which 23 species were non - native to the Islands introduced either accidentally or deliberately. Among the 23 fishes introduced, 13 species were found to be transplanted from Indian waters into the Islands and 10 species were non - native to Indian waters. Mosquito Fish (Gambusia affinis), Mozambique Tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus), Silver Barb (Barbonymus gonionotus), Red Bellied Pacu (Piaractus brachypomus), and Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio) are some of the important invasive species found here. Stakeholder perception studies were undertaken through semi - structured questionnaire and five point likert scale questions. The respondents (N=133) were classified into two groups as (a) Fish farmers and (b) Research/development personnel. Multinomial logistic regression analysis revealed that the profession of the respondents significantly influenced the awareness about the non - native fishes (p<0.001). Fish farmers (4.04?0.04) and Research/development (4.47?0.21) respondents mutually agreed on the need for awareness and education on the issue of non - native fishes (p<0.01). A management framework is suggested to address the issue of non - native fishes towards effective planning, conservation and management of the fragile Island ecosystems

Viruses

Not AvailableThe present study was intended to screen the wild crustaceans for co-infection with Infectious Hypodermal and Hematopoietic Necrosis Virus (IHHNV) and White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV) in Andaman and Nicobar Archipelago, India. We screened a total of 607 shrimp and 110 crab samples using a specific polymerase chain reaction, and out of them, 82 shrimps (13.5%) and 5 (4.5%) crabs were found positive for co-infection of IHHNV and WSSV. A higher rate of co-infection was observed in Penaeus monodon and Scylla serrata than other shrimp and crab species. The nucleotide sequences of IHHNV and WSSV obtained from crab in this present study exhibited very high sequence identity with their counterparts retrieved from various countries. Histopathological analysis of the infected shrimp gill sections further confirmed the eosinophilic intra-nuclear cowdry type A inclusion bodies and basophilic intra-nuclear inclusion bodies characteristics of IHHNV and WSSV infections, respectively. The present study serves as the first report on co-infection of WSSV and IHHNV in Andaman and Nicobar Archipelago, India and accentuates the critical need for continuous monitoring of wild crustaceans and appropriate biosecurity measures for brackishwater aquacultur

Marine Pollution Bulletin

Not AvailableThe present study investigates the issue of marine debris and the associated soil, sediment, water quality, and microbial load from the fish landing centres (Junglighat, Chatham, Wandoor, and Guptapara) of South Andaman. The results revealed that significantly (P < 0.05) higher number and weight of marine debris was found in urban landing centres such as Chatham (21.26 ? 1.03 numbers/m2) and Junglighat (268.16 ? 27.00 g/m2), respectively. Plastic debris was found to be the most abundant type of debris, among which plastic bags were dominant. Better soil, sediment, and water quality parameters were observed in rural landing centres such as Wandoor and Guptapara, whereas microbial load was found to be higher in urban landing centres. The study recommends the imperative need to generate awareness on better management practices among the stakeholders to deal with the issue of marine debris and to aim sustainable management of the coastal environment

A new short brown unpatterned moray eel Gymnothorax andamanensis (Muraenidae: Muraeninae) from Andaman waters, India

Not AvailableGymnothorax andamanensis sp. nov., a new short brown moray eel, is described here on the basis of two specimens collected from Port Mout, Port Blair, South Andaman (11.659327°N; 92.696148°E), caught using baited hand-lines in a sandy habitat at a depth of less than 2 m. The species is characterized in having the dorsal-fin origin before the gill opening, pre-anal length 2.1-2.2, jaw pores with black rim, two branchial pores, predorsal vertebrae 3, preanal vertebrae 57 and total vertebrae 135-136, teeth smooth, three large fang-like median intermaxillary teeth, biserial maxillary and uniserial vomerine teeth, and dentary teeth biserial with two teeth in each side in the second row of the dentary. The new species is compared with all 10 short brown unpatterned moray eels known from the world and two from Indian waters.Not Availabl

Not Available

Not AvailableThis study provides the first record of Lutjanus xanthopinnis Iwatsuki, Tanaka et Allen, 2015 from the Andaman Islands. The new record is based on 2 specimens, 123 and 154 mm SL, captured inshore of Dignabad, Port Blair, Andaman Islands, India. The fish were examined, described, and illustrated. Morphometric and morphological data confirmed that the specimens examined from the Andamans are L. xanthopinnis, which varies distinctly from a closely-related species Lutjanus madras (Valenciennes, 1831).Not Availabl

Not Available

Not AvailableNot AAndaman and Nicobar are a group of 572 Islands located in the Bay of Bengal which is endowed with rich marine biodiversity and coastal ecosystems. The estimated annual harvestable potential of marine fishery resources is 1.48 lakh tonnes whereas the present harvest stands closer to 40,000 tonnes. The critical need to bridge the gap between the potential and the harvest were emphasized over these years through harnessing the coastal and deep-sea fishery resources. However, a foremost issue that needs to be addressed remains the reliable estimation of fish landings through standard methodologies. Unorganized data collection and projection could lead to misrepresentation of the fishery resources which could affect the planning, conservation and management of resources. For proper data collection and reporting, the stakeholders at the field level must have adequate exposure and knowledge on the identification of marine fish landings. This handbook aims to assist the stakeholders engaged in fishery data collection and management with detailed information on the commercially important fisheries across the Islands. We strongly believe that this handbook could act as a ready reckoner on the identification of commercially landed marine fishes of the Andaman and Nicobar Islandsvailabl

First record of Lutjanus xanthopinnis (Actinopterygii: Perciformes: Lutjanidae) from the Andaman Islands, India

The majority of morphological abnormalities reported for elasmobranchs are cases of bicephalia. This contribution describes the third confirmed case worldwide and the first This study provides the first record of Lutjanus xanthopinnis Iwatsuki, Tanaka et Allen, 2015 from the Andaman Islands. The new record is based on 2 specimens, 123 and 154 mm SL, captured inshore of Dignabad, Port Blair, Andaman Islands, India. The fish were examined, described, and illustrated. Morphometric and morphological data confirmed that the specimens examined from the Andamans are L. xanthopinnis, which varies distinctly from a closely-related species Lutjanus madras (Valenciennes, 1831)

Halgerda dalanghita Fahey & Gosliner, 1999 (Gastropoda: Nudibranchia: Discodorididae) - a new record for India from the Andaman Islands

Halgerda dalanghita Fahey &amp; Gosliner, 1999, a discodoridid nudibranch was reported from Havelock Island of Ritchie’s Archipelago representing a new addition to the Opisthobranch fauna of India. This species is characterized by a firm, bright orange coloured mantle with a network of angular ridges on the dorsum that is ornate with white lines and dots; rhinophores with 17 brown lamellae on a translucent white stalk; highly pinnate gills with eight branchial leaves. The present record extends the known geographical distribution of H. dalanghita and this is the sixth species representing the genus in India. </div

Gymnothorax andamanensis Mohapatra & Kiruba-Sankar & Praveenraj & Mohanty 2019, sp. nov.

&lt;i&gt;Gymnothorax andamanensis&lt;/i&gt; sp. nov. &lt;p&gt;Proposed common name: Andaman brown moray&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;(Figures 1&ndash;4 A, Table 1)&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;b&gt;Holotype.&lt;/b&gt; EBRC /ZSI F11227 [325 mm total length (TL)], Port Mout, Port Blair, South Andaman (11.659327&deg;N; 92.696148&deg;E]: 18 March 2019.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;b&gt;Paratypes.&lt;/b&gt; CIARI /MF-05. [464 mm TL), date and place of collection: same as holotype.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;b&gt;Diagnosis.&lt;/b&gt; This new species of moray eel belongs to the small, brown unpatterned group with the combination following of characters: dorsal-fin origin before gill opening, pre-anal length 2.1&ndash;2.2, jaw pores with black rim, two branchial pores, predorsal vertebrae 3, preanal vertebrae 57 and total vertebrae 135&ndash;136, teeth smooth, three large fang-like median intermaxillary teeth, biserial maxillary and uniserial vomerine teeth, and dentary teeth biserial, with two teeth on each side in the second row of the dentary.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;b&gt;Description.&lt;/b&gt; A medium-sized, uniform brown moray with moderately elongate body, depth at gill opening 15.0&ndash;17.1 and at anus 16.0&ndash; 19.1 in TL; preanal length 2.1&ndash;2.2 in TL. Head small, 8.1 in TL; snout blunt, its length 4.4 in HL; jaws almost equal 2.2&ndash;2.4 in HL. Eye diameter of 6.7&ndash;7.6 in HL and located closure to rictus than the snout tip; interorbital space 6.7&ndash;8.8 in HL (Table 1). Anterior nostril tubular touching the tip of the snout, posterior nostril above the anterior margin of eye. Dorsal-fin origin before gill opening and closer to rictus than to gill opening. Pre-dorsal length 9.9&ndash;10.8 in total length. The dorsal fin origin is well before the 1st branchial pore. Anal fin starts from the anus. Both dorsal and anal fins high. Gill in a small diagonal slit located behind the dorsal fin origin and second branchial pore (Fig. 2). Teeth smooth, not serrated; intermaxillary teeth 11&ndash;12 on each side with alternate small and large teeth as shown in Fig. 3; 3 strong, curved median intermaxillary teeth placed almost equidistance from each other; maxillary teeth biserial, 19&ndash;20 on each side of outer row and 3 in each side of inner row; vomerine teeth uniserial with 9&ndash;10 teeth; lower jaw teeth with outer row of 26&ndash;28 teeth on each side and 2 inner teeth on each side near anterior end (Fig. 3). Head pores typical, supraorbital pores 3; infraorbital pores 4; mandibular pores 6; branchial pores 2, located above and before gill opening (Fig. 2). All head pores with black rim. Predorsal vertebrae 3, preanal vertebrae 57 and total vertebrae 135&ndash;136.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;i&gt;Colour when fresh:&lt;/i&gt; body dark brown dorsally and slightly pale brown ventrally; (Figs. 1 &amp; 4), both dorsal and anal fins body colour; eye ring whitish, jaw pores with black rim. When preserved, body uniformly brown, eye ring white.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;b&gt;Distribution.&lt;/b&gt; Presently known only from the South Andaman, India.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;b&gt;Etymology.&lt;/b&gt; The species is named &ldquo; &lt;i&gt;andamanensis&lt;/i&gt; &rdquo; with reference to the Island from where it is collected.&lt;/p&gt;Published as part of &lt;i&gt;Mohapatra, Anil, Kiruba-Sankar, R., Praveenraj, J. &amp; Mohanty, Swarup Ranjan, 2019, A new short brown unpatterned moray eel Gymnothorax andamanensis (Muraenidae: Muraeninae) from Andaman waters, India, pp. 189-196 in Zootaxa 4661 (1)&lt;/i&gt; on pages 190-191, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4661.1.11, &lt;a href="http://zenodo.org/record/3378470"&gt;http://zenodo.org/record/3378470&lt;/a&gt