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Records of the Zoological Survey of India

Coral reefs are staggeringly diverse and complex ecosystem. But, this tropical wonder is currentl... more Coral reefs are staggeringly diverse and complex ecosystem. But, this tropical wonder is currently degrading at alarming rates and, facing a high risk of extinction due to several anthropogenic and natural disturbances. Despite knowing the complex and huge reefs India has, and all the benefits this country gets from its reefs; the efforts to manage and conserve appears poor. Review of research suggests that better management coupled with trained marine biologists, modern infrastructure facility and long-term funding. This review also intends to highlight the current focal area of bio-ecological research in Indian coral reefs and, discuss scopes for further study on some of the key themes on which primary research is being conducted globally. Moreover, there is a pressing need for effective communication between the scientific community and stakeholders for the strict implication of conservation practice to protect the spectacular coral reef ecosystem.

This chapter provides a summary of currently assessed marine biodiversity in terms of its coverag... more This chapter provides a summary of currently assessed marine biodiversity in terms of its coverage for the most conspicuous and well known taxonomic groups, particular ecosystems, and large geographic regions. Assessments will be focused on the evaluation of the state of knowledge of marine biodiversity; however, for some groups, such evaluations are provided indirectly by studies aimed to establish threat and or risk status. The groups that have been summarized globally are the sea mammals (cetaceans and pinnipeds), seabirds, sea turtles, sharks, tunas, billfish, corals, and plankton. The special ecosystems are seamounts, vents, and seeps. Regional summaries of coverage of assessments are provided whenever possible for large basins, such as North Atlantic, South Atlantic, North Pacific, South Pacific, Indian Ocean, Arctic Ocean, and Southern Ocean. However, in some cases, information is compiled by countries (e.g., Canada) when these have more than one basin, or by large continents...

Proceedings of the …, 2002

... The central Great Chagos Bank has a large submerged reef area with 8 islands. ... has been id... more ... The central Great Chagos Bank has a large submerged reef area with 8 islands. ... has been identified for protection and management under the National Conservation Strategy of Bangladesh, but no ... Inadequate financial and human resources also impede effective management. ...

Bibliography and checklist of corals and coral reef associated organisms of India , Bibliography ... more Bibliography and checklist of corals and coral reef associated organisms of India , Bibliography and checklist of corals and coral reef associated organisms of India , مرکز فناوری اطلاعات و اطلاع رسانی کشاورزی

Proceedings of the …, 2002

... The reef flat occupies 136.5 km area, Sea grass occupies 10.9 sq km and lagoon occupies 309.4... more ... The reef flat occupies 136.5 km area, Sea grass occupies 10.9 sq km and lagoon occupies 309.4 sq km (Bahuguna and Nayak 1994). ... Mangrol, Porbandar, Okha, Bedi and Dwarka have also got a great potential value for producing large quantity of such fishes for export as the ...

he Scyphozoans belong to the phylum Cnidaria and well known as true T jellyfish. Jellyfish is the... more he Scyphozoans belong to the phylum Cnidaria and well known as true T jellyfish. Jellyfish is the pelagic stage, more conspicuous in the life cycle, while the polypoid form is restricted to a small sessile stage. Jellyfish inhabit every major oceanic region of the world and are capable of withstanding a wide range of salinity and temperature. Most jellyfish live in shallow coastal waters, but a few species inhabit depths of 4600 meters. Forskål (1775) described Cephea cephea (as Medusa cephea) and Cephea octostyla (as Medusa octostyla) from the Red Sea. The term Scyphozoa was first used by Lankester in 1881. There are several reports on the antimicrobial activities of the jellyfish extracts, which can afford design of new antibiotics with broad spectrum antimicrobial activity. The scyphozoan jellyfish can be used for medical and therapeutic purposes. The fluorescent protein of scyphozoa is as a genetic marker to detect protein movement or gene expression in developmental, environmental and medical biology. The jellyfish are potentially good indicators of ecosystem and climatic changes and mixing of ocean layers. Morphology Fossils Life Cycle Classification, Global and India status Communication and Perception The structures of Scyphozoans are seen in multiples of four. Two thin layers of cells, an outer layer (ectoderm) and an inner layer (endoderm) filled with a jelly-like substance called mesoglea make up their bodies. The mesoglea layer of the scyphozoa is very thick with the consistency of firm gelatin. For this reason the class has been given the name " jellyfish. " Jellyfish have a simple digestive cavity (coelenteron) which acts as a gullet, stomach and intestine with one opening for the mouth and anus. There are four to eight oral arms are located near the mouth and are used to transport food that has been captured by the tentacles. Jellyfish occur in a wide variety of sizes, shapes and colors. They are 97 percent water and are semi-transparent or glassy and bell-shaped. Regardless of their size or shape, most jellyfish are very fragile, often containing less than 5% solid organic matter. The inverted bell-shaped morphology of many of the species that make up this class is referred to as " medusiod. " This inverted bell usually has tentacles extending downward from the medusae body. The mouth of the Scyphozoa is at the end of a cylinder that is known as the manubrium. The nervous system is of the nerve-net type and is synaptic. The pulsation control is centered on marginal concentrations of neurons. Jellyfish range in size from a mere twelve millimeters to more than two meters across, the largest is Cyanea arctica, which may have tentacles over 40 meters long. The scyphozoan jellyfish have a nerve net along the bell as well as marginal sensory organs that determine the contractions which propel the medusa. All scyphozoan have receptors that detect a variety of stimuli including light (ocelli), smell and touch sensory lappets as well as a statocyst which coordinates balance. These are found in the triangular clubs (rhopalia), which in turn also allow control of stimulation of statocyst so that the jellyfish can adjust the direction where it is swimming. The true jellyfish have two distinct body forms, medusae and polyp. Both can reproduce sexually and asexually, and go through five life stages: egg, planula, polyp, ephyra and medusae. The life cycle of a typical jellyfish involves an alteration of generations in which the animal passes through two different body forms. The dominant and conspicuous medusa is the familiar form, while the smaller polyp form is restricted to the larval stage. The reproductive organs (gonads) develop in the lining of the gut. During reproduction, the male releases sperm through its mouth into the water column. The sperm swims into the mouth of the female where fertilization occurs. Early embryonic development begins either inside the female or in brood pouches along the oral arms. Small swimming larvae (planula) leave the mouth or brood pouches and enter the water column and attach to the bottom, forming polyps. Polyps of some species propagate vegetatively, forming colonies. A polyp can live for several years, producing clone polyps by budding, and eventually beginning a process called strobilization that will transform a single polyp into several organisms. Strobilization is the asexual reproduction process. The free-swimming, immature medusa is called ephyra. In a few weeks, an ephyra will grow into an adult medusa, thus completing the complex life cycle. Jellyfish normally live three to six months. In Chrysaora and Cyanea the larva are retained on the parent in cysts. A few possible fossil of scyphozoans have been described from the Vendian (Late Precambrian), and scattered scyphozoan fossils are known throughout the Phanerozoic. Rhizostomites was recorded from the Late Jurassic which is about 155 million years ago. In general, very little research has been done on scyphozoans. Schyphozoans are difficult to study because of their polyp stage. Scientists had been unable to even locate the polyp stages of most jellyfish until very recently. According to recent classification, a total of 186 species of scyphozoa belonging to 3 orders, 18 families and 61 genera were recorded from the world oceans. Among them Rhizostomeae is the major order in which 9 families, 28 genera and 77 species are recognized. Family Nausithoidae, Catostylidae and Ulmaridae represent the high species diversity in the world compared to other families and their species composition is 25species under 3 genera, 21 species under 7 genera and 23 under 13 respectively (Table 1). Atolla chuni is the only known endemic oceanic scyphomedusa in the Southern Ocean. Catostylus mosaicus is a rhizostome jellyfish endemic to eastern Australia. Mastigias papua is the endemic species in the Palau lakes. Aurelia labiata is apparently endemic to the Pacific Coast of North America. Out of the 186 species of Scyphomedusae known from the World Oceans, 37 species are known from the Indian seas which are equivalent to 19.89%.

he pyconogonids (Gr. pyknos = crowded, gony = knee) are strictly

Among large vertebrates, efforts are focused on “iconic” and/or under-threat large species such as
whales and turtles. Regarding geographic range, there is a considerable amount of information on
coastal shelves and slopes along developed nations (e.g. Europe, United States, Canada, Australia,
Japan, South Africa), however, even in these regions, knowledge is patchy in time (very few
sustained long term efforts) and space (concentrated in particular areas of those coasts). The
Arctic and Southern Ocean have received considerable attention (again the “charismatic” reason),
but due to habitat complexity and logistical challenges, knowledge is fragmented, with some areas
very poorly known. A generalized problem common to developed and developing countries, is that
there is much unpublished data (at least not available through open access databases).

In addition, the ecosystem-approach type of assessment leading to an integrated management strategy
is very recent, and still not widely used. Coral reefs may be the pioneer ecosystems in which this
approach has been used, as monitoring programmes measure live cover, abundance and biomass in
addition to biodiversity. This approach is also extending to other shallow water communities such
as rocky shores through the integration of data and the creation of international networks. In the
deep sea, seamounts seem to be the best assessed ecosystems, again maybe due to their
potential economic value for fisheries or other extractive harvests such as minerals, as well as
their potential to support significant biodiversity. This creates the urge to understand what they
have in terms of living resources so that they can be managed properly before serious exploitation
begins. On geologically active ecosystems such as vents and seeps, no assessments have been carried
out, and information about these is very recent, very patchy, and very scarce.

We continue to stress the importance of taxonomy, systematics, and studies of biodiversity to
advance our knowledge of ecology, ecosystem-based management, and understanding/valuation of
ecosystem services. These are especially needed with increasing extinction rates, continued
anthropogenic pressures on biodiversity, and the consequences of human-induced climate change. In
this sense, biogeographic information is of fundamental importance for discovering marine
biodiversity hotspots, detecting and understanding impacts of environmental changes, predicting
future distributions, monitoring biodiversity, or supporting conservation and sustainable
management strategies. The major challenges and needs for obtaining a more comprehensive overview
of global marine biodiversity are the need to: (1) invest in taxonomy and capacity-building; (2)
standardize methodologies to ensure proper

© 2016 United Nations
51
comparisons; (3) increase sampling effort, exploring new habitats, and identifying and
mapping biodiversity hotspots; (4) make historical and new data increasingly more accessible
through open access data portals such as OBIS; (5) quantify ecosystem services and the
impact of loss of biodiversity on these goods and services in different marine habitats and
ecosystems across regions, and analyze how cumulative and synergistic anthropogenic impacts may
affect these services; and (6) continue to
enhance the importance of biodiversity in marine management policy decisions.

Marine biodiversity assessments are very variable among taxonomic groups and among ecosystems. Be... more Marine biodiversity assessments are very variable among taxonomic groups and among
ecosystems. Best assessed are groups such as fish, sea mammals, sea birds, turtles, and plankton, and ecosystems such as coral reefs. However, assessments are mostly limited in time, as very few have long term series data (as, for example, the CPR -Continuous Plankton Recorder has), and are limited by geographic range and taxonomic representation. Regarding taxonomic representation, for example, among fish efforts are mostly focused on commercial species (stock assessments) and top predators.
Among large vertebrates, efforts are focused on “iconic” and/or under-threat large species such as whales and turtles. Regarding geographic range, there is a considerable amount of information on coastal shelves and slopes along developed nations (e.g. Europe, United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, South Africa), however, even in these regions, knowledge is patchy in time (very few sustained long term efforts) and space (concentrated in particular areas of those coasts). The Arctic and Southern Ocean have received considerable attention (again the “charismatic” reason), but due to habitat complexity and logistical challenges, knowledge is fragmented, with some areas very poorly known. A generalized problem common to developed and developing countries, is that there is much unpublished data (at least not available through open access databases).
In addition, the ecosystem-approach type of assessment leading to an integrated management strategy is very recent, and still not widely used. Coral reefs may be the pioneer ecosystems in which this approach has been used, as monitoring programmes measure live cover, abundance and biomass in addition to biodiversity. This approach is also extending to other shallow water communities such as rocky shores through the integration of data and the creation of international networks. In the deep sea, seamounts seem to be the best assessed ecosystems, again maybe due to their potential economic value for fisheries or other extractive harvests such as minerals, as well as their potential to support significant biodiversity. This creates the urge to understand what they have in terms of living resources so that they can be managed properly before serious exploitation begins. On geologically active ecosystems such as vents and seeps, no assessments have been carried out, and information about these is very recent, very patchy, and very scarce.
We continue to stress the importance of taxonomy, systematics, and studies of biodiversity to advance our knowledge of ecology, ecosystem-based management, and understanding/valuation of ecosystem services. These are especially needed with increasing extinction rates, continued anthropogenic pressures on biodiversity, and the consequences of human-induced climate change. In this sense, biogeographic information is of fundamental importance for discovering marine biodiversity hotspots, detecting and understanding impacts of environmental changes, predicting future distributions, monitoring biodiversity, or supporting conservation and sustainable management strategies. The major challenges and needs for obtaining a more comprehensive overview of global marine biodiversity are the need to: (1) invest in taxonomy and capacity-building; (2) standardize methodologies to ensure proper
© 2016 United Nations 51
comparisons; (3) increase sampling effort, exploring new habitats, and identifying and mapping biodiversity hotspots; (4) make historical and new data increasingly more accessible through open access data portals such as OBIS; (5) quantify ecosystem services and the impact of loss of biodiversity on these goods and services in different marine habitats and ecosystems across regions, and analyze how cumulative and synergistic anthropogenic impacts may affect these services; and (6) continue to enhance the importance of biodiversity in marine management policy decisions.

NOTES ON THE ASSOCIATION OF LISSOCARCINUS POLYBIODES ADAMS AND WHITE, 1848 (PORTUNIDAE, CAPHYRINA... more NOTES ON THE ASSOCIATION OF LISSOCARCINUS POLYBIODES ADAMS
AND WHITE, 1848 (PORTUNIDAE, CAPHYRINAE), WITH SEA STAR LUIDIA
MACULATA MULLER AND TROSCHEL, 1842.

The Indian Ocean (IO) extends over 30% of the global ocean area and is rimmed by 36 littoral and ... more The Indian Ocean (IO) extends over 30% of the global ocean
area and is rimmed by 36 littoral and 11 hinterland nations
sustaining about 30% of the world’s population. The landlocked
character of the ocean along its northern boundary and the
resultant seasonally reversing wind and sea surface circulation
patterns are features unique to the IO. The IO also accounts for
30% of the global coral reef cover, 40,000 km2 of mangroves,
some of the world’s largest estuaries, and 9 large marine
ecosystems. Numerous expeditions and institutional efforts in the
last two centuries have contributed greatly to our knowledge of
coastal and marine biodiversity within the IO. The current
inventory, as seen from the Ocean Biogeographic Information
System, stands at 34,989 species, but the status of knowledge is not
uniform among countries. Lack of human, institutional, and
technical capabilities in some IO countries is the main cause for
the heterogeneous level of growth in our understanding of the
biodiversity of the IO. The gaps in knowledge extend to several
smaller taxa and to large parts of the shelf and deep-sea
ecosystems, including seamounts. Habitat loss, uncontrolled
developmental activities in the coastal zone, overextraction of
resources, and coastal pollution are serious constraints on
maintenance of highly diverse biota, especially in countries like
those of the IO, where environmental regulations are weak.

Records of the Zoological Survey of India

Proceedings of the …, 2002

he pyconogonids (Gr. pyknos = crowded, gony = knee) are strictly

Tamil Nadu is situated on the f'Qutheastern part of the Indian peninsula and it has a conglomerat... more Tamil Nadu is situated on the f'Qutheastern part of the Indian peninsula and it has a conglomeration of different types of ecosystems rather than a particular type as in some other states of India. Though most of the ecosystem types are represented in Tamil Nadu as found in other States, yet much of the thorn forests and scrublands of India are confined to Tamil Nadu. compriSing a major part of thiS state. The whole eastern side of the state is protected by 1000 km of sea coast, which has all major types of habitats and major ecosystems such as pelagic and benthic, estuarine, seaweed and sea grass, mangrove and coral reef ecosystem of Gulf of Mannar Islands, peculiar to the State of Tamil Nadu. The km stretch between Tuticorin and Rampswaram These islands are located between the latitudes 8" 47' Nand 9° 15' Nand longitudes 78" 12'E and 79" 14' E. The islands lie at an average distance of 8 Km from the main land. All these 21 islands have been notified as reserve lands under section 26 of the Tamil Nadu Forest Act, 1882. This was reinforced by a re-notification of the State Government on 10, September, 1986 as Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park. Under the Man and Biosphere Reserve Programme of UNESCO, Government of India set up in 1989, The Gulf of Mannar Marine Biosphere Reserve, the first of its kind in the country and probably, in Southeast Asia. Different types of reef forms such as shore, platform, patch and fringing type are observed in the Gulf of Mannar. Narrow fringing reefs are located mostly at a distance of 50 to 100 m from the islands. On the other hand, patch reefs rise from depths of 2 to 9 m and extend 1 to 2 km in length with width as much as 50 m. Reef flat is extensive in almost all the reefs in the Gulf of Mannar. Reef vegetation is richly distributed on these reefs. The total area occupied by reefs and their 2associated
features is 94 sq km. Reef flats and reefs vegetation :ncluding algae occupy 65 and 14 sq km. respectively Usually. monsoons and high sedimentation loads affect the visibility. These reefs are more luxurious and richer than the reefs of the adjacent Palk Bay.
The present International Workshop on "Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve: an ecological model for Biodiversity Conservation. livelihood and sustainability" is organized by the National Biodiversity Authority. UNESCO and SACEP mainly 10 find more elucidation to conservation and Management of Biological resources and open the opportunity for the livelihood options for the coastal villagers along the coast of Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve. r appreciate and congratulate the efforts taken by Prof S. Kannaiayan. Chairman. National Biodiversity Authority and Dr K. Venkataraman. Secretary. National Biodiversity Authority for their effort in preparing the conference Proceedings as book form. I am sure that the book will be useful to Ihe scientists working in Marine
biology and also to the students. scholars. NGO's. The book will be an
excellent reference volume.

Several surveys were conducted during the period of April, 2009 to July, 2010 at different sites ... more Several surveys were conducted during the period of April, 2009 to July, 2010 at different sites of Andaman and Nicobar Islands to assess the diversity of echinoderms in coral reef enviornments by employing Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus (SCUBA) diving and snorkeling. Line intercept transect (Bradbury and Reichelt et.al., 1986), Quadrate methods (Endean and Stablum, 1973), Photoquadrate and underwater video transect method were applied to investigate the diversity and distribution of the Echinoderms. Underwater video
sampling provides highly precise quantitative estimate of echinoderms and abundance of common benthic taxa. During SCUBA diving, species recording was made by underwater digital photography (Sony - Cyber shot, Model-T900, marine pack, 12.1 megapixels) for detailed
identification.

CITATION Venkataraman, K. and ell. Satyanarayana. 2012. Coral Identification manual: 1-136. (P... more CITATION

Venkataraman, K. and ell. Satyanarayana. 2012. Coral Identification manual: 1-136. (Published by
the Director, Zool. Sura. India, Kolkata)

Published : May, 2012

ISBN 978-81-8171-308-7

K. VENKATARAMAN R. JEYABASKARAN K. P. RAGHURAM J. R. B. ALFRED Zoological Survey of India, Marine... more K. VENKATARAMAN
R. JEYABASKARAN
K. P. RAGHURAM
J. R. B. ALFRED
Zoological Survey of India, Marine Biological Station, Chennai

Raghunathan, C., Sadhukhan, K., Mondal, T., Sivaperuman, C., Venkataraman, K., 2013. A ... more Raghunathan, C., Sadhukhan, K., Mondal, T., Sivaperuman, C.,
Venkataraman, K., 2013. A Guide to Common Echinoderms of
Andaman and Nicobar Islands : 1-210, (Published by the Director,
Zool. Surv. India, Kolkata)

The objective of the mission was to conduct a rapid assessment of reefs around the Andaman Island... more The objective of the mission was to conduct a rapid assessment of reefs around the Andaman Islands to identify the level of importance of the reef systems to global biodiversity, and to assess the status of the reefs with respect to their general condition. The stepped approach adopted involved: (1) reviewing relevant literature; (2) processing satellite imagery of the region; (3) field surveys to 'ground truth' imagery and record coral diversity at selected reef sites; and (4) production of satellite image classification maps for future survey and management.
There is relatively little information on the coral reef ecosystems around the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, when compared to many other island groups in the Indian Ocean.
The reef corals of the Andaman Islands belong to the Indo-west Pacific faunal province. The Andaman Islands are just Northwest of the central area of greatest marine biodiversity, referred to as the Coral Triangle. Pillai (1983a) listed 135 coral species from the region, including 31 genera with 82 species found in the Andaman Islands.
Previous mapping projects to quantify marine habitats using remote sensing have been undertaken in the Andamans. Wafar (1986) calculated the reef area around the Andamans to be 11,000km2 (taken as all lagoon and submerged banks
together). In the current study, two Landsat 7 ETM+ scenes were corrected for radiometric and atmospheric variation using the 6S atmospheric model in ERDAS Imagine. The scenes were mosaiced and georeferenced to Latitude Longitude
WGS84 using GIS vector data.
The vegetation of the northern Andamans was mapped using a Normalised Differential Vegetation Index (NDVI). The NDVI image was classified into 10 classes, which represent different levels of 'greenness' or vegetation cover.
The preliminary marine biotope classification used 21 classes based on experience of using similar satellite data, since prior to the field survey, no suitable georeferenced data was available to define classes. One of the intended objectives of the field survey was to collect data to use in validating the
preliminary classification to conduct a new classification based on field data.
The Terrestrial and Marine Biotope maps were combined and sectioned into 11 regions at a scale of 1:200,000. The true colour composite of marine areas combined with a natural colour composite of terrestrial areas was used to create
a second set of maps covering the same subsections. 34 higher resolution subsections, at 1:50,000 or 1:60,000 were produced to cover particular features in the reefs and lagoons for use in the field survey.
A rapid site assessment of reef sites around the northern Andaman islands was conducted between 14th and 24th April 2001 from the SY '11ala' Surveys were conducted at representative and accessible reef sites in the south, west, north and east of the northern Andaman Island group, selected using the satellite imagery.

rachiopods (Latin: Brachium = arm; Pod = leg) are commonly known as B " lamp shells " named after... more rachiopods (Latin: Brachium = arm; Pod = leg) are commonly known as B " lamp shells " named after their overlapped shells resemble ancient roman lamp. Taxonomy of brachiopod is unstable, as many taxonomists and paleontologist made different groupings. Hence, the classification of phylum Brachiopoda follows as in Treatise on Invertebrate Palaeontology. Brachiopods are well studied by geologist and neglected by biologist. The phylum Brachiopoda was described in 1805 by Duméril while identification of Brachiopods was started earlier 1700's and was classified under bivalvia. They resembles with bivalve molluscs morphologically were classified under molluscs until mid-1800's. They are completely different from bivalves in the arrangement of shell, gills, foot and mantle anatomically. They are mostly sedentary, aquatic bottom dwelling and restricted to marine. Brachiopods are also one of the members of Lophophorates. They are distributed from intertidal to greater depth, however often found in the depth between 5-80m. However, some Linglulid brachiopods found to occur at the depth of 5000 m. Members of phylum Brachiopoda have an ancient lineage traceable to Cambrian times. Among the Brachiopods, genus Lingula is considered as one of the most 'Living Fossils' and oldest of all living genera of animals. Structure Classification and Global Status Indian Status Habitat Feeding Reproduction and Development Brachiopods are bilaterally symmetrical, solitary and strictly restricted to benthic habitat of marine. They have two shells secreted by inner mantle (valve) as in bivalve molluscs, however, the dorsal shell is smaller than ventral shell. They may have decorated with ridges or growth lines. Shells of Inarticulata species are attached by muscles and the valves of Articulata species have a tooth-and-socket hinge. Bottom of the ventral valve has a thick fluid filled organ called pedicel for the firm attach with the bottom. The body size of the brachiopods range from 5 – 80 mm, while some fossils recorded up to the maximum 30cm. Primarily they are filter feeders, mostly feed on algae, small planktonic organisms and detritus. They have a specialized feeding organ called lophophore (same present in Phoronids and Brayzoans). These lophophores composed of a pair of tentacles with different arrangements depends on species. Lophophores creates water currents to catch the food and ciliated groove transfer the food to stomach. Lophophore occupy the anterior side of the animal and body covers the posterior. Sexes are separate in brachiopods except few species of articulate clade. The embryos have radial cleavage and a substantial blastocoel. Development patterns of the brachiopods has strong affinities with their sister group, viz. Phoronids. Larvae has two types of coelom known as the mesocoelom and metacoelom, but it not clear if these are homologous to those of phoronid larvae. In many species, females brood fertilized eggs in a brooding area until they have reached the larval stage. Cleavage is holoblastic, radial, and nearly equal, leading to a coeloblastula. Brachiopods undergo indirect development sometimes but all come across free living larval stage called lobate larvae. Larvae of Inarticulata species look much like the adults, but are able to protrude their lophophores from the mantle lobes and use them for feeding and locomotion. These lobate larvae remain in planktonic for few months and then sinking when the valve secretion begins. Larvae of Articulata species have anterior, mantle and pedicle lobes. The mantle lobes, which begin to secrete the valves, come forward to cover the anterior lobe, which becomes the body and lophophore. A total of 391 species of living brachiopod under 116 genera were reported till now (Table 1). The phylum Brachiopoda is divided into three subphyla: Linguliformea, Craniiformea and Rhynchonelliformea. Although they were extremely common throughout the Paleozoic, today they are considered a minor phylum, and only five orders have extant representatives: Lingulida, with two families, 6 genera and 25 species; Craniida, with one family, 3 genera and 18 species; Rhynchonellida, with 6 families, 19 genera and 39 species; Thecideida, with two families, 6 genera and 22 species; and Terebratulida, with 20 families, 82 genera, and 287 species. Among this Terebratulidae one of the largest family, which contributes 52 species under 12 genera, however families Bouchardiidae and Thaumatosiidae represents only one genus and one species each. Brachiopods are very cryptic and most of the species found in deeper waters, which restrict the taxonomist to study on this minor phyla. In India, Brachiopoda is one of the least studied groups, very few species having been reported till date. Lingula hians was the first identified species from Bombay coast. There were no new description of species made after Alcock and Joubin. Indian brachiopod fauna comprises of 8 species under 5 genera belongs to 4 families. T h e b r a c h i o p o d s a r e exclusively marine. They p r e f e r r o c k y s u r f a c e , crevice and caves, steep s l o p e s o f c o n t i n e n t a l shelves and bottom of the sea for their settlement. Some species are typically found in shallow water up to the depth of 200 m and known as shelf species while eurybathic species which