Four new corals recorded from Indian waters: UPSC Daily Important Topic | 14 July 2022

■ Four new corals recorded from Indian waters-

✓Scientists have recorded four species of corals for the first time from Indian waters.

✓These new species of azooxanthellate corals were found from the waters off the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

●  What are Azooxanthellate Corals?

✓The azooxanthellate corals are a group of corals that do not contain zooxanthellae and derive nourishment not from the sun but from capturing different forms of planktons.

✓They are deep-sea representatives with the majority of species being reported from depths between 200 metres and 1,000 metres.

✓They are also reported from shallow waters unlike zooxanthellate corals that are restricted to shallow waters.

●  Which are the new species found?

✓Truncatoflabellum crassum, T. incrustatum, T. aculeatum, and T. irregulare under the family Flabellidae were previously found in Japan, the Philippines and Australian waters.

✓Only T. crassum was reported within the range of Indo-West Pacific distribution.

● Significance of the discovery:

✓Most studies of hard corals in India have been concentrated on reef-building corals while much is not known about non-reef-building corals.

✓These new species enhance our knowledge about

non-reef-building solitary corals.