Some recent studies on the marine wood-borers of the west coast of India

IRG/WP 486

L N Santhakumaran

Occurrence and distribution of marine wood-borers along the west coast of India from Mangalore to Kandla are presented together with the distribution pattern of all the molluscan and crustacean wood-borers so far reported from India coasts. The survey, conducted for the first time along this coast, revealed the presence of 14 species of Teredinidae, 2 species of Pholadidae, 3 species and one variety of Sphaeromati and 1 species of Limnoriidae. It includes 3 new records (Bankia nordi Moll, Nototeredo edax (Hedley) and Teredothyra smithi (Bartsch) from the west coast and 3 new records (Teredothyra matocotana (Bartsch), Lyrodus massa (Lamy) and Martesia sp.) from Indian waters. Distribution of several species like Nausitora hedlevi Schepman, Teredo clappi Bartsch, Sphaeroma terebrans Bate, Sphaeroma annandalei Stebbing and Sphaeroma annandalei travancorensis Pillai has been considerably extended further north along the west coast of India.


Keywords: MARINE BORERS; INDIA; DISTRIBUTION; SEASONAL ABUNDANCE; BOMBAY; SALINITY TOLERANCE; CELLULOSE DIGESTION; NATURAL RESISTANCE

Conference: 82-05-24/28 Çesme, Turkey


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