The diversity of Indian Brachionidae (Rotifera: Eurotatoria: Monogononta) and their distribution
We evaluate diversity status of the Brachionidae of India and present an annotated checklist of 46 species excluding dubious and unconfirmed reports. These merit biodiversity value as ~27% of the global diversity of the taxon and ~81% of its Oriental species. We observed two Australasian elements,...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | deu |
| Published: |
Eötvös Loránd University
2014-11-01
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| Series: | Opuscula Zoologica Instituti Zoosystematici et Oecologici Universitatis Budapestinensis |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://opuscula.elte.hu/PDF/Tomus45_2/4_Op_Sharma_Indian%20Brachionidae.pdf |
| Summary: | We evaluate diversity status of the Brachionidae of India and present an annotated checklist of 46 species
excluding dubious and unconfirmed reports. These merit biodiversity value as ~27% of the global diversity of the taxon and
~81% of its Oriental species. We observed two Australasian elements, two Oriental endemics, one Indian endemic, one paleotropical
and one cosmo (sub) tropical species. The cold-water Keratella serrulata and Notholca squamula are new records from
eastern Himalayas. Maximum brachionid diversity (32 species) from Assam state of northeast India (NEI) is followed by the
reports of 27 and 26 species from Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, respectively; 25 species each from Tripura and Maharashtra;
and 24 species from Jammu & Kashmir. Brachionus, the most diverse brachionid genus, is widely distributed in India with low
richness in hill states of NEI and coastal waters in particular. The Indian brachionid taxonomy is confounded with unconfirmed
reports, misidentifications, invalid taxa, and inconsistent treatment of morphological variants, while analysis of cryptic
diversity in Brachionus calyciflorus, B. caudatus, B. forficula, B. plicatilis, B. quadridentatus, B. urceolaris, Keratella cochlearis
and K. quadrata species-groups awaits attention. |
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| ISSN: | 0237-5419 2063-1588 |