International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (IJTSRD)

Volume 4 Issue 5, August 2020 Available Online: www.ijtsrd.com e-ISSN: 2456 – 6470

Polychaetes of Palk Bay, South East Coast of India

S. Lazarus, A. Renu, S. Balasubramanian
Institute for Environmental Research and Social Education, Nesamony Nagar, Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu, India

ABSTRACT How to cite this paper: S. Lazarus | A.

Palk Bay is an important area for the study of Polychaetes. Already about 16 Renu | S. Balasubramanian "Polychaetes
publications are available on the Polychaetes of Palk Bay. In order to find out of Palk Bay, South East Coast of India"
the present position a comparative study was made by collecting Polychaete Published in
samples from 17 centres having different environmental situations. Out of 41 International Journal
Polychaetes identified, 16 were found to be new to the study area. of Trend in Scientific
Research and
KEYWORDS: Polychaetes, Palk Bay Development (ijtsrd),
ISSN: 2456-6470,
Volume-4 | Issue-5, IJTSRD31894
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INTRODUCTION
Palk Bay has variety of environments such as beach, estuary, one has written a comprehensive account about the
coral beds and mangrove beds (Fig. 1). All these polychaete diversity of different coastal ecosystems of the
environments have either a sandy bed or a muddy bed or a area. Hence, an attempt was made to identify the polychaete
coral bed or a rocky bed or a mixture of all these. In order to diversity in the different ecosystems such as sea bottom,
study the polychaete population in these environments a estuaries, and mangrove grounds.
study was conducted by collecting samples from all these
areas and the results are given in this account. Although MATERIAL AND METHODS
many works have been done by earlier workers Samples were collected for a period of one year from
[Balasubramanian (1960 and 1964), Srikrishnadhas and different environments (Table – I) using Peterson’s Grab and
Ramamoorthy (1977), Srikrishnadhas et al., (1981), Ajmal Scoop. If the depth is more, SCUBA diving technique was
Khan et al., (1975), Sarala Devi et al., (1999), Murugesan et followed. Collected samples were washed through a 0.5 mm
al., (2007, 2009 & 2018), Anbuchezhian et al., (2009), sieve on the site itself and sorted out in the laboratory on the
Karthikeyan et al., (2009), Kundu et al., (2009), Elayaraja et same day after preserving them in 7% formalin for
al., (2010), Amar and Musale et al., (2010), Varadharajan et taxonomical studies. Length measurements were taken to
al., (2010), Sundaravarman et al., (2012), Samidurai et al., the nearest mm and number of segments were counted in all
(2012), Ramesh et al., (2013), Pandiyan et al., (2013), specimens by drawing the figures using Camera Lucida and
Pravinkumar et al., (2013), Sivaleela and Venkatraman taking color photos. Species were identified by using
(2013), Samikannu et al., (2013), Seerangam et al., (2013), standard keys (Fabricius, 1780; Ehlers, 1908; Southern,
Sivaraj et al., (2014), Balachandar et al., (2016), 1921; Fauvel, 1953; Day, 1961 and Fauchald, 1977).
Bharathidasan et al., (2017), Prabakaran et al., (2019)] no

Table 1 Depth and Location of the Sampling Sites

S. No. Name of the stations Depth (m) Latitude (N) Longitude (E)
1. Thonithurai- coral reef bed 0.45 09°17’03” 79°10’27”
2. Dhanushkodi- beach 0.40 09° 10’36” 78° 24’ 58”
3. Arichalmunai-beach 0.55 09° 90’ 03” 79° 26’ 56”
4. Aththankarai-estuary 0.65 09°20’46” 78° 59’ 56”
5. Devipattanam-mangrove 0.30 09°29’25” 78°53’59”
6. Thiruppalaikkudi-mangrove 0.30 09° 32’ 43” 78° 54’ 46”
7. Valamavoor-mangrove 0.35 09°33’41” 78°55’20”
8. Morepannai-mangrove 0.35 09° 35’49” 78° 55’ 51”

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9. Uppoor-mangrove 0.80 09° 35’14” 78° 55’ 36”
10. Karankad-mangrove 0.70 09° 38’46” 78° 57’ 56”
11. Soliyakkudi-beach 0.10 09° 42’18” 78° 59’30”
12. Vellar-estuary 0.28 11°29’59” 79°46’19”
13. Southmeenavankulam- mangrove 0.50 11°29’41” 79°46’01”
14. Annakovil-mangrove 0.60 11°29’56” 79°46’06”
15. Parangipettai-mangrove 0.25 11°29’14” 79°45’43”
16. Akkaraigori Gadilam- estuary 0.35 11°42’ 27” 79°46’45”
17. Sunnambar-estuary 0.40 11° 52’ 33” 79°49’ 16”

Fig 1 Map of the study area showing the sampling stations in Palk Bay

Table 2 List of Ploychaete Species recorded from Palk Bay during the present study
S. Place of collection
Species Name Family
No. TCB DB AB AE DM TM VM MM UM KM SB VE SM AM PM GE SEP
1. Notomastus aberans Capitellidae - - - - + - - + + - - - - - - +
2. Psuedonereis variegata Nereidae - - + - - + - - - - - - - - - - +
3. Culleriella acicula* Cirratulidae + - - - - - - - - - - - - - + - -
4. Eunice schaemacephala* Eunicidae - - - - - + - - - - + - + - - - -
5. Orbinia monroi* Orbiniidae - - - - - - - - + + - - - - + - -
6. Scoloplos johnstonei Orbiniidae - + - - - - - - - - - - - - - - +
7. Capitella capitata Capitellidae - - - - + - - + - + - - - - - - +
8. Polydora capensis Spionidae - - - - - - + - - + - - - - - - -
9. Scalibregma inflatum Scalibregmidae - - - - - - - - - - + + - - - - +
10. Lumbriconereis heteropoda Lumbrinereidae - - + - - - - - - - - + - - - - -
11. Namanereis gesae* Nereidae - - - - - + - - + - - - - - - - -
12. Armandia intermedia Opheliidae - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - +
13. Lysidice collaris Eunicidae - - - - - - - - - - - - + + - - -
14. Eunice antennata* Eunicidae - - - + - - - - - - - - + - - + -
15. Cossura coasta Cossuridae - - - - + - - - - - - - - - - + -
16. Ceratonereis hircinicola* Nereidae - - - - - - - - - - + - - - - - +
17. Euclymene annandalei Maldanidae - - - - - - - - - - - - + - - - -
18. Platynereis dumerilli Nereidae + - - - - - - - - + - + - - - - +
19. Owenia fusiformis Oweniidae + - - - - - - - - + - - + - - - -
20. Magelona capensis* Magelonidae - + - - - + + - - - - + - - - - +
21. Perinereis cultrifera Nereidae - - - - - - + - - - - - - - - - +
22. Chloeia inermis Amphinomidae + - - - - - - - - - - - + - - - -
23. Glycera alba Glyceridae - - - - - - - + - - - - - - - - +
24. Exogone clavator Syllidae - - - - - - - - - + - - - - + - +
25. Branchiomma violaceae* Sabellidae + - - - - - - - - - + - + - - - +
26. Phyllodoce malmgreni Phyllodocidae - - + + - - - - - - - - - - + - -
27. Goniada emerita Goniadidae - + - - - - - - - - - - + - + - -
28. Ancistrosyllis constricta Pilargidae + - - - - - - - + - - - - - - + -
29. Schroederella pauliani* Orbiniidae - - - - - + - - - - - + - - - + +
30. Paralacydonia paradoxa Lacydoniidae - + - + - - - - - - - - - + - - -

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 International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (IJTSRD) @ www.ijtsrd.com eISSN: 2456-6470
31. Scoloplos armiger* Orbiniidae - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - + +
32. Vanadis longissima* Alciopidae - - - - - + - - - - - - - - - - +
33. Dendronereides zululandica* Nereidae - - - - - - - - - - - - - + - - +
34. Chitinopomoides wilsoni* Serpulidae - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - +
35. Pisione africana Pisionidae + - - - - - - - - - - - + - - - +
36. Nephtys dibranchis Nephtyidae - - - - + - - - - - - - - - - - +
37. Nephtys capensis Nephtyidae - - - - - + - - - + - - - + - - -
38. Laeonereis ankyloseta* Nereidae - - - + - - - - - - - + - - - - +
39. Amphitrite cirrata* Terebellidae - - - - + + - - - - - - - - - - -
40. Eunice indica Eunicidae - - - - - - + - - - + - - - - - +
41. Fabricia bansei* Sabellidae - - + - - - - + + - + - - - - - -
*New Records

TCB-Thonithurai Coral Bed; DB-Dhanushkodi Beach; AB-Arichalmunai Beach; AE-Aththankarai Estuary; DM-Devipattanam
Mangrove; TM-Thiruppalaikkudi Mangrove; VM-Valamavoor Mangrove; MM-Morepannai Mangrove; UM-Uppoor Mangrove;
KM-Karankad Mangrove; SB-Soliyakkudi Beach; VE-Vellar Estuary; SMM- SouthMeenavankulam Mangrove; AM-Annakovil
Mangrove; PM-Parangipettai Mangrove; GE- Gadilam Estuary; SEP- Sunnambar Estuary Pondicherry.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION of the Vellar estuary. In: Natarajan R. (Ed.), Recent
So far, 18 publications related to polychaete taxonomy have Researches in Estuarine Biology. Hind. Publ. Corporation,
been published from Palk Bay, the northern region of Tamil New Delhi. p. 255- 272.
Nadu including Pondicherry by collecting samples from 19
[2] Anbuchezhian, R. M., G. Rameshkumar and S.
centres by earlier authors. They have reported 162
Ravichandran, 2009. Macro-benthic Composition and
polychaetes up to species level and 43 up to genus level. In
Diversity in the Coastal Belt of Thondi, Southeast Coast
present study, 41 species, 1. Notomastus aberans, 2.
of India. Global Journal of Environmental Research.
Psuedonereis variegate, 3. Culleriella acicula, 4. Eunice
3(2):68-75.
schaemacephala,5. Orbinia monroi, 6. Scoloplos johnstonei, 7.
Capitella capitata, 8. Polydora capensis, 9. Scalibregma [3] Amar S. Musale and Dattesh V. Desai. 2010.
inflatum, 10. Lumbriconereis heteropoda, 11. Namanereis Distribution and abundance of macro-benthic
gesae, 12. Armandia intermedia, 13. Lysidice collaris, 14. polychaetes along the South Indian coast.
Eunice antennata, 15. Cossura coasta, 16. Ceratonereis Environmental Monitoring and Assessment. 178:423–
hircinicola, 17. Euclymene annandalei, 18. Platynereis 436.
dumerilli, 19. Owenia fusiformis, 20. Magelona capensis, 21.
[4] Balasubramanyan, K., 1960. Cossura delta Reish
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Exogone clavator, 25. Branchiomma violaceae, 26. Phyllodoce
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malmgreni, 27. Goniada emeriti, 28. Ancistrosyllis constricta,
29. Schroederella pauliani, 30. Paralacydonia paradoxa, 31. [5] Balasubramanyan, K., 1964. Studies on the ecology of
Scoloplos armiger, 32. Vanadis longissima, 33. Dendronereides the Vellar estuary 3. The intertidal and estuarine
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ankyloseta, 39. Amphitrite cirrata, 40. Eunice indica, and 41.
Kumaresan. 2016. Spatial and Seasonal Variation of
Fabricia bansei belonging to 26 families were identified up to
Macrobenthos from Puducherry Coast, Southeast Coast
species level (Table-II). In this, 16 species are found to be
new records to Palk Bay region and they are collected from of India. International Journal of Current Microbiology
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