Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer
Type: Article
Published: 2020-06-08
Page range: 247–265
Abstract views: 130
PDF downloaded: 7

The Shallow-water Crinoid Fauna of Lakshadweep Atolls, North-western Indian Ocean

Department of Science and Technology, Kavaratti-682555, Union Territory of Lakshadweep, India. School of Ocean Science and Technology, Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies, Panangad, Kochi, 682506 Kerala, India.
Department of Science and Technology, Kavaratti-682555, Union Territory of Lakshadweep, India.
Centre for Marine Living Resources & Ecology, Kendriya Bhavan, Kakkanad, Kochi-682 037, Kerala, India.
Nova Southeastern University, Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography, 8000 N Ocean Drive, Dania Beach, FL 33004 USA.
School of Ocean Science and Technology, Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies, Panangad, Kochi, 682506 Kerala, India.
Echinodermata Feather star Lakshadweep Archipelago Coral reef Echinoderms

Abstract

A biodiversity survey carried out from 2016 to 2018 by the Department of Science and Technology in the Lakshadweep Atolls, India, recorded six species of shallow-water feather stars new to the archipelago (Comanthus wahlbergii, Comaster schlegelii, Himerometra robustipinna, Dichrometra palmata, Stephanometra indica, and Phanogenia typica). Himerometra sol A.H. Clark, 1912, previously known only from the Maldive Islands, is synonymized under Himerometra robustipinna (Carpenter, 1881). This study brings the total number of shallow-water crinoids recorded from Lakshadweep to ten species. Of the four species collected previously from the archipelago, only Comatella nigra was found in this survey. Of those not collected, Comatella stelligera and Oligometra serripinna are widespread in the Indo-western Pacific region, whereas Heterometra compta is known only from Lakshadweep, and its validity remains uncertain. The known shallow-water crinoid fauna of the archipelago is substantially less diverse than that of the adjacent and environmentally similar Maldive Islands, emphasizing the need for additional research in this island group, in particular, to determine whether the differences are actual or not, and whether they are based on natural conditions versus anthropogenic impacts.

 

References

  1. Agassiz, L. (1836) Prodrome d’une Monographie des Radiaires ou Echinodermes. Mémoires

    de la Société des Sciences naturelles de Neuchâtel, 1, 168‒199.

    Arguelles, C.C., Dela Paz, R.M. & Clavaria, F.G. (2010) Identification of feather stars (Echinodermata: Crinoidea: Comatulida) at Subic Bay, Zambales, Philippines. Philippines Journal of Science, 139 (1), 51‒60.

    Bell, F.J. (1884) Echinodermata. In: Report on the Zoological Collections made in the Indo-Pacific Ocean during the Voyage of H.M.S. “Alert”, 1881‒2. British Museum of Natural History, Department of Zoology, London, pp. 117‒177.

    Bell, F.J. (1888) Report on a collection of echinoderms made at Tuticorin, Madras, by Mr. Edgar Thurston, C.M.Z.S., Superintendent, Government Central Museum, Madras. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, 1888, 383‒389.

    https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7998.1888.tb06719.x

    Carpenter, P.H. (1879) On the Genus Actinometra, Müll., with a morphological account of a new species (A.) polymorpha, from the Philippine Islands. Transactions of the Linnean Society, London, Zoology, 2 (1), 1‒122.

    https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-3642.1879.tb00318.x

    Carpenter, P.H. (1881) The Comatulae of the Leyden Museum. Notes from the Leyden Museum, 3,173‒217. [http://www.repository.naturalis.nl/document/551807]

    Carpenter, P.H. (1883) On the Classification of the Comatulae. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, 1882, 731‒747.

    https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-3642.1883.tb02788.x

    Carpenter, P.H. (1884) Report on the Crinoidea collected during the voyage of H.M.S. Challenger, during the years 1873‒76. Part I. The Stalked Crinoids. Reports of the Scientific Results of the Voyage of H.M.S. Challenger, Zoology, 11 (32), 1‒442, 62 pls.

    https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.11805

    Carpenter, P.H. (1888) Report on the Crinoidea collected during the voyage of H.M.S. Challenger, during the years 1873‒76. Part II. The Comatulae. Reports of the Scientific Results of the Voyage of H.M.S. Challenger, Zoology, 26 (60), i‒x, 1‒400, 70 pls.

    Chen, J.C., Chang, K.H. & Chen, C.P. (1988) Shallow water crinoids of Kenting National Park, Taiwan. Bulletin of the Institute of Zoology, Academia Sinica, 27 (2), 73‒90.

    Clark, A.H. (1907) New genera of recent free crinoids. Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collection, Quarterly Issue, 50, 343–364.

    Clark, A.H. (1908a) New genera of unstalked crinoids. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, 21, 125–136.

    Clark, A.H. (1908b) Preliminary notice of a collection of recent crinoids from the Philippine Islands. Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collection, Quarterly Issue, 52, 199–234. [https://repository.si.edu/bitstream/handle/10088/23345/SMC_52_Clark_1910_16_199-234.pdf]

    Clark A.H. (1908c) The crinoid genus Comatula Lamarck; with a note on the Encrinus parrae of Guerin. Proceedings of the United States National Museum, 33, 683–688. [https://repository.si.edu/bitstream/handle/10088/14012/1/USNMP-33_1585_1908.pdf]

    https://doi.org/10.5479/si.00963801.33-1585.683

    Clark, A.H. (1909a) New Recent Indian Crinoids. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, 22, 143‒152.

    Clark, A.H. (1909b) Descriptions of seventeen new species of crinoids. Proceedings of the United States National Museum, 36, 633‒651. [https://repository.si.edu/bitstream/handle/10088/14127/1/USNMP-36_1691_1909.pdf]

    https://doi.org/10.5479/si.00963801.36-1691.633

    Clark, A.H. (1909c) On a collection of crinoids from the Zoological Museum of Copenhagen. Videnskabelige Meddelelser frå Dansk Naturhistorisk Forening, 61, 115–195.

    Clark, A.H. (1909d) A revision of the crinoid families Thalassometridae and Himerometridae. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, 22, 1–22.

    Clark, A.H. (1909e) New genera and higher groups of unstalked crinoids. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, 22, 173–178.

    Clark, A.H. (1909f) The crinoids of the “Gazelle” Expedition. Zoologische Anzeiger, 26, 363‒370.

    Clark, A.H. (1909g) On a collection of recent crinoids from the Philippine Islands. Proceeding of the United States National Museum, 36, 391‒410. [https://repository.si.edu/bitstream/handle/10088/14109/1/USNMP-36_1673_1909.pdf]

    https://doi.org/10.5479/si.00963801.36-1673.391

    Clark, A.H. (1911a) On a collection of unstalked crinoids made by the United States Fisheries steamer “Albatross” in the vicinity of the Philippine Islands. Proceedings of the U.S. National Museum, 39, 529–563. [https://repository.si.edu/bitstream/handle/10088/14238/1/USNMP-39_1798_1911.pdf]

    https://doi.org/10.5479/si.00963801.39-1798.529

    Clark, A.H. (1911b) The recent crinoids of the Leyden Museum. Notes from the Leyden Museum, 33 (2/3), 175‒192. [http://www.repository.naturalis.nl/record/509089]

    Clark, A.H. (1911c) The Recent crinoids of the coasts of Africa. Proceedings of the United States National Museum, 40 (1808), 1‒51. [https://repository.si.edu/bitstream/handle/10088/14309/1/USNMP-40_1808_1911.pdf]

    https://doi.org/10.5479/si.00963801.40-1808.1

    Clark, A.H. (1912) The Crinoidea of the Indian Ocean. Echinoderms of the Indian Museum, Calcutta, Part VII, 1‒325.

    Clark, A.H. (1913a) Notes on the recent crinoids in the British Museum. Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections, 61 (15), 1–89. [https://repository.si.edu/bitstream/handle/10088/23490/SMC_61_Clark_1913_15_1-89.pdf]

    https://doi.org/10.5479/si.00963801.46-2026.279

    Clark, A.H. (1913b) Revision of the crinoid genus Himerometra. Proceedings of the United States National Museum, 46, 279–289. [https://repository.si.edu/bitstream/handle/10088/14414/1/USNMP-46_2026_1913.pdf]

    Clark, A.H. (1913c) A revision of the crinoid family Mariametridae. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, 26, 141‒144.

    Clark, A.H. (1918) The unstalked crinoids of the Siboga expedition. Siboga Expedition, 42b, 1–300.

    Clark, A.H. (1929) On some recent crinoids in the collection of the British Museum. Journal of the Linnean Society of London, Zoology, 36 (249), 635–664, pls. 40–44.

    https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-3642.1929.tb02210b.x

    Clark, A.H. (1931) A monograph of the existing crinoids. Vol. 1. The comatulids. Part 3. Bulletin of the United States National Museum, 82, 1‒816, pls. 1‒82.

    https://doi.org/10.5479/si.03629236.82.3

    Clark, A.H. (1936) Crinoidea. The John Murray Expedition 1933‒34 Scientific Reports, Zoology, 4, 87‒108, pl. 1.

    Clark, A.H. (1941) A monograph of the existing crinoids. Vol. 1. The Comatulids. Part 4a. Bulletin of the United States National Museum, 82, 1–603, pls. 1‒61.

    https://doi.org/10.5479/si.03629236.82.4a

    Clark, A.H. (1947) A monograph of the existing crinoids, vol. 1, The Comatulids. Part 4b. Bulletin of the United States National Museum, 82, 1‒459, pls. 1‒43.

    https://doi.org/10.5479/si.03629236.82.i

    Clark, A.H. (1950) A monograph of the existing crinoids. Vol. 1. The Comatulids. Part 4c. Bulletin of the United States National Museum, 82, 1–383, pls. 1–32.

    https://doi.org/10.5479/si.03629236.82.i

    Clark, A.H. & Clark, A.M. (1967) A monograph of the existing crinoids. Vol. 1. The Comatulids, part 5. Bulletin of the United States National Museum, 82, 1–860.

    https://doi.org/10.5479/si.03629236.82.3

    Clark, A.M. (1972) Some crinoids from the Indian Ocean. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History), Zoology, 24, 75–156.

    Clark, A.M. (1974) Notes on some echinoderms from southern Africa. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History), Zoology, 26, 421‒487.

    https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.part.209

    Clark, A.M. & Rowe, F.W.E. (1971) Monograph of Shallow Water Indo-West Pacific Echinoderms. Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History), London, 238 pp.

    Clark, H.L. (1915) The comatulids of Torres Strait: with special reference to their habits and reactions. Papers from the Department of Marine Biology of the Carnegie Institution of Washington, 8, 67–125.

    Dujardin, F. & Hupé, H. (1862) Echinodermes. In: Histoire Naturelle des Zoophytes, Paris, 1862, pp. 35‒218.

    Fleming, J. (1828) History of British animals exhibiting the descriptive characters and systematical arrangement of the genera and species of quadrupeds, birds, reptiles, fishes, Mollusca and Radiata of the United Kingdom. Bell & Bradfute, Edinburgh, xxiii + 565 pp.

    https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.12859

    Gislén, T. (1938) Crinoids of S. Africa. Kungliga Svenska Vetenskapsakademiens Sällskapets Lund, Handlingar, Series 3, 17 (2), 1–22, pl. 1–2.

    Gislén, T. (1940) A collection of crinoids from the South Sea Islands. Kungliga Svenska Vetenskapsakademiens, Handlingar, Series 3, 18 (10), 1–16, pl. 1–3.

    Hartlaub, C. (1890) Beitrag zur Kenntniss der Comatuliden-Fauna des indischen Archipels. Nachrichten von der Königlichen Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften und der Georgs-August-Universität zu Göttingen, 5, 168–187. [https://gdz.sub.uni-goettingen.de/id/PPN252457072_1890?tify=%7B%22view%22:%22info%22,%22pages%22:%5B176%5D%7D]

    Hemery, L.G., Roux, M., Ameziane, N. & Eléaume, M. (2013) High-resolution crinoid phyletic inter-relationships derived from molecular data. Cahiers de Biologie Marine, 54 (4), 511‒523.

    Hendler, G. (2004) Collecting Preserving and Archiving Echinoderms, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. Available from: http://clade.ansp.org/malacology/people/rosenberg/archiving/taxa/echinoderms.html (accessed 12 January 2020)

    Hess, H. & Messing, C.G. (2011) Articulata. In: Seldon, P. & Ausich, W.I. (Ed.), Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology. Part T. Echinodermata 2. Revised. Crinoidea 3. University of Kansas Press, Lawrence, Kansas, pp. xxix + 261.

    ICZN (1999) International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. Fourth Edition. The International Trust for Zoological Nomenclature 1999. The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, 106 pp.

    James, D.B. (1969) Catalogue of echinoderms in the reference collections of the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Mandapam. Bulletin of the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, 7, 51‒62.

    James, D.B. (1987) Research on Indian Echinoderms—a review. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of India, 25, 91‒108. [http://eprints.cmfri.org.in/id/eprint/1294]

    Kogo, I. (1998) Crinoids from Japan and adjacent waters. Special publications from Osaka Museum of Natural History, 30, 1–148.

    Kogo, I. (2002) Report on the crinoids collected from the Nansei Islands, southern Japan, during a cruise of the training vessel Toyoshio Maru in 1999 (Crinoidea). Bulletin of the Osaka Museum of Natural History, 56, 1‒44. [http://www.mus-nh.city.osaka.jp/publication/bulletin/bulletin/56/56-001.pdf]

    Linnaeus, C. (1758) Systema Naturae per regna trianaturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Editio Decima. Reformata. Laurentius Salvius, Holmiae, ii + 824 pp.

    https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.542

    Lovén, S. (1866) Phanogenia, ett hittills okändt slägte af fria Crinoideer. Öfversigt af Kongl. Vetenskaps-akademiens forhandlingar, 1866 (9), 223–233.

    Marshall, J.I. & Rowe, F.W.E. (1981) The crinoids of Madagascar. Bulletin du Museìum national d’histoire naturelle, Paris, 4e Série, 3, Section A, No. 2, 379‒413. [http://bionames.org/bionames-archive/issn/0181-0626/3/379.pdf]

    Mekhova, E.S. & Britayev, T.A. (2012) Fauna of Unstalked Crinoids (Crinoidea: Comatulida) of the Bay of Nhatrang, South Vietnam. Paleontological Journal, 46, 909–926.

    https://doi.org/10.1134/S0031030112080084

    Messing, C.G. (1994) Comatulid crinoids (Echinodermata) of Madang, Papua New Guinea, and environs: Diversity and ecology. In: David, B., Guille, A., Feral, J.-P. & Roux, M. (Eds.), Echinoderms through Time. Balkema, Rotterdam, pp. 237‒243.

    Messing, C.G. (1997) Living Comatulids. In: Waters, J. & Maples, C. (Eds.), Geobiology of Echinoderms, Paleontology Society Papers. Vol. 3. Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Pittsburgh, pp. 3‒30.

    https://doi.org/10.1017/S1089332600000188

    Messing, C.G. (1998a) An initial re-assessment of the distribution and diversity of the East Indian shallow-water crinoid fauna. In: Mooi, R. & Telford, M. (Eds.), Echinoderms: San Francisco. Balkema, Rotterdam, pp. 187‒192.

    Messing, C.G. (1998b) A revision of the Recent Indo-West Pacific comatulid genus Comaster Agassiz. Part 1: The type species of Comaster and Phanogenia Lovén (Echinodermata: Crinoidea: Comasteridae). Invertebrate Taxonomy, 12, 191‒209. https://doi.org/10.1071/IT97004

    Messing, C.G. (2001) A key to the genera of Comasteridae (Echinodermata: Crinoidea) with the description of a new genus. Bulletin of the Biological Society of Washington, 10, 277‒300.

    Messing, C.G. (2007) The crinoid fauna (Echinodermata: Crinoidea) of Palau. Pacific Science, 61 (1), 91‒111.

    https://doi.org/10.1353/psc.2007.0010

    Messing, C.G. & Dearborn, J. (1990) Marine Flora and Fauna of the northeastern United States. Echinodermata: Crinoidea. NOAA Technical Report, National Marine Fisheries Service, No. 91, 1–33. [http://aquaticcommons.org/2724/1/tr91.pdf]

    Messing, C.G. & Tay, T.S. (2016) Extant Crinoidea (Echinodermata) of Singapore. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology, Supplement No. 34, 627–658.

    Messing, C.G., Hoggett, A., Vail, L., Rouse, G.W. & Rowe, F.W.E. (2017) Chapter 7. Crinoidea. In: O’Hara, T. & Byrne, M. (Eds.), Australian Echinoderms: Biology, Ecology and Evolution. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne, pp. 166‒224.

    Meyer, D.L. & Macurda, D.B.Jr. (1980) Ecology and distribution of the shallow-water crinoids (Echinodermata) of the Palau Islands and Guam (Western Pacific). Micronesica, 16, 59‒99.

    Müller, J. (1841) Über die Gattungen und Arten der Comatulen. Königlich Preussische Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin, Monatsberichte, (1841), 179–189. [also published in Archiv für Naturgeschichte, Jahrgang, Berlin, 1841, 7 (1), 139‒148.]

    Müller, J. (1843) Neue Beitrage zur Kenntnis der Arten der Comatulen. Archiv fur Naturgeschichte, Berlin, 9, 131‒136.

    Müller, J. (1846) Nachtrag zu der Abhandlung über die Comatulen. Königlich Preussische Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin, Monatsberichte, 1846, 177–179.

    NIMA (National Imagery and Mapping Agency) (2002) Sector 5, The Laccadive Islands and the Maldive Islands. Sailing Directions (Enroute): India and the Bay of Bengal, Publication 173, 99‒118.

    Owen, C.L., Messing, C.G., Rouse, G.W. & Shivji, M.S. (2009) Using a combined approach to explain morphological and ecological diversity in Phanogenia gracilis Hartlaub, 1893 (Echinodermata: Crinoidea) sensu lato: two species or intraspecific variation? Marine Biology, 156 (8), 1517‒1529.

    https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-009-1173-6

    Parameswaran, U.V., Sanjeevan, V.N., Jaleel, K.A., Jacob, V., Gopal, A., Vijayan, A.K. & Sudhakar, M. (2018) An updated checklist of echinoderms of the southeastern Arabian Sea. Marine Biodiversity, 48 (4), 2057‒2079.

    https://doi.org/10.1007/s12526-017-0732-1

    Rankin, D.L. & Messing, C.G. (2008) A revision of the comatulid genus Stephanometra A.H. Clark with a rediagnosis of the genus Lamprometra A.H. Clark (Echinodermata: Crinoidea). Zootaxa, 1888 (1), 1‒35.

    https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.1888.1.1

    Rouse, G.W., Jermiin, L.S., Wilson, N.G., Eeckhaut, I., Lanterbecq, D., Oji, T., Young, C.M., Browning, T., Cisternas, P., Helgen, L.E., Stuckey, M. & Messing, C.G. (2013) Fixed, free, and fixed: the fickle phylogeny of extant Crinoidea (Echinodermata) and their Permian-Triassic origin. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 66 (1), 161‒81.

    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2012.09.018

    Rowe, F.W.E., Hoggett, A.K., Birtles, R.A. & Vail, L.L. (1986) Revision of some comasterid genera from Australia (Echinodermata: Crinoidea), with descriptions of two new genera and nine new species. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 86 (3), 197‒277.

    https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-3642.1986.tb01812.x

    Rowe, F.W.E. & Gates, J. (1995) Echinodermata. In: Wells, A. (Ed.), Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Vol. 33. CSIRO, Melbourne, pp. 1–510.

    Rowe, F.W.E & Richmond, M.D. (2004) A preliminary account of the shallow-water echinoderms of Rodrigues, Mauritius, western Indian Ocean. Journal of Natural History, 38 (23‒24), 3273‒3314.

    https://doi.org/10.1080/002229301695105

    Sastry, D.R.K. (1997) New records of Echinodermata from Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Journal of Andaman Science Association, 13 (1 & 2), 48–55.

    Sastry, D.R.K. (1998) Some echinoderms are new to Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park with two new records for India. Symposium Proceedings of Island Ecosystem and Sustainable Development. Andaman Science Association, Port Blair, pp 133‒138.

    Sastry, D.R.K. (1999) New records of Echinodermata from Andaman Islands. Journal of Andaman Science Association, 15 (2), 17‒20.

    Sastry, D.R.K. (2001) Echinodermata (other than Holothuroidea) from Ritchie’s Archipelago, Andaman Islands. Records of the Zoological Survey of India, 99 (Part 1–4), 157170.

    Sastry, D.R.K. (2004) Echinodermata: Crinoidea, Asteroidea, Ophiuroidea and Echinoidea. In: the Director (Ed.), Fauna of Gujarat. Part 2. State fauna series, 8, pp. 1‒427.

    Sastry, D.R.K. (2005) Echinodermata of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Bay of Bengal: An Annotated List, Records of the Zoological Survey of India, Occasional Paper No. 233, 1‒207.

    Sastry, D.R.K. (2007) Echinodermata of India: An annotated list. Records of the Zoological Survey of India, Occasional Paper No. 271, 1–387.

    Sastry, D.R.K. & Satyanarayana, C.H. (2009) On two species of Crinoidea, Echinodermata from Lakshadweep, Arabian Sea. Records of the Zoological Survey of India, l09 (2), 23‒26,

    Smith, E.A. (1876) Diagnoses of new species of Echinodermata from the Island of Rodriguez. Annals and Magazine of Natural History, Series 4, 17 (101), 404–406.

    https://doi.org/10.1080/00222937608681977

    Summers, M., Messing, C.G. & Rouse, G.W. (2014) Phylogeny of Comatulidae (Echinodermata: Crinoidea: Comatulida): A new classification and an assessment of morphological characters for crinoid taxonomy. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 80, 319‒39.

    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2014.06.030

    Summers, M., Messing, C.G. & Rouse, G.W. (2017) The genera and species of Comatulidae (Comatulida: Crinoidea): taxonomic revisions and a molecular and morphological guide. Zootaxa, 4268 (2), 151–190.

    https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4268.2.1

    Taylor, K.H., Rouse, G.W. & Messing, C.G. (2017) Systematics of Himerometra (Echinodermata: Crinoidea: Himerometridae) based on morphology and molecular data. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 181, 342–356.

    https://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlx009

    Zmarzly, D.M. (1984) Distribution and ecology of shallow-water crinoids at Enewetak Atoll, Marshall Islands, with an annotated checklist of their symbionts. Pacific Science, 38, 105‒122.

    Zmarzly, D.M. (1985) The shallow-water crinoid fauna of Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands: ecological observations, inter atoll comparisons and zoogeographic affinities. Pacific Science, 39, 340‒358.