New records of soft corals, genus Sarcophyton (Octocorallia: Malacalcyonacea: Sarcophytidae) from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India

ABSTRACT

This article reports three new records of soft corals, viz. Sarcophyton boletiforme Tixier-Durivault 1958; S. cinereum Tixier-Durivault 1946; and S. turschi Verseveldt 1976, from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India. The specimens were collected from coral reef regions, to a depth of 25 m. Species identification involved a detailed analysis of colony morphology, sclerite structures, and measurements taken from various parts of the colony. Sarcophyton boletifome features club-shaped sclerites (up to 0.38 mm) on capitulum and stalk surfaces, and spindle-shaped sclerites (up to 1.10 mm) in the stalk interior; S. cinereum exhibits warty club-shaped sclerites, in the capitulum surface layer (0.17–0.27 mm) and in the base surface layer (0.10–0.55 mm); and stalk interior features curved or straight spindles (up to 1.77 mm). The capitulum of S. turchi bears club-shaped surface sclerites, ranging in size from 0.09 to 0.38 mm, while the stalk interior contains spindle-shaped structures ranging from 0.35 to 0.75 mm. In a time when octocorals are threatened, it is refreshing to find octocoral species that are new to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. These islands remain amongst the most ecologically significant in the Indo-Pacific region and should be protected.

KEYWORDS:

• Andaman Sea
• leather coral
• marine diversity
• sclerites
• spindle shape
• zooxanthellae

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to the Director, Zoological Survey of India, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India, for providing facilities. We also thank the forest departments of Andaman and Nicobar Islands for providing logistics support during the surveys.

Authors’ contributions

SR: Field survey, concept, data documentation, analysis and taxonomy, literature review and writing – original draft; CR: Conceptualization, supervision, writing – review and editing.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

S. Rajendra

S. Rajendra is a post-doctoral student, focussed on octocorals, specifically the soft corals found in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and mainland Indian coasts. His primary areas of interest are the taxonomy, ecology, conservation and management of coral reef-associated animals in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

C. Raghunathan

C. Raghunathan is a distinguished figure in marine biology, recognized as a pioneer of the field in India. His remarkable career spans over 33 years, during which he has amassed extensive research expertise in marine sciences. His investigative work has primarily centred on the holistic examination of animal life within marine environments, particularly in the context of Indian waters.