/. Mar. biol. Ass. India, 1960, 2 (2): 221-22$
FLORA OF THE PEARL BEDS OFF TUTICORIN*
By R. PRASANNA VARMA
Central Marine Fisheries Research Station, Mandapam Camp
THIS
account deals with the algae collected during a survey of the pearl and chank beds off Tuticorin during December 1958 to May 1959, conducted by Dr.
F. Baschieri-Salvadori, F.A.O. Underwater Expert, in collaboration with Mr. K.
Nagappan Nayar of the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute and Mr. Isaac Rajendran of Madras State Fisheries, to whom the author is grateful for the algal collections. In addition, during the above period pearl fishery was in progress (March to May) and the algae brought by divers along with oysters were also studied by the author.
Practically no information is available on the deep water algae of the Indian coast except a few records published by Boergesen (1937a, 19376 and 1938). The present account gives a fair picture of the flora of these pearl beds (Paars) in relation to substratum and depth. Though all the Paars had some form of algal vegetation, of the 33 Paars examined, only 11 had luxuriant growth of algae. Broadly, these Paars are grouped into four zones based on the dominant community ; i.e., domi- nated by red algae as in Zone I, dominated by green algae as in Zone II, a balanced vegetation without any particular group dominating as in Zone III, and dominated by brown algae as in Zone IV. It may be mentioned here that Zone III merges with Zone IV and the dominance by brown algae in Zone IV is not very distinct. Table
1 gives the details of Paars, substratum and algal growth ; Text-Fig. 1 indicates the Paars studied.
A more critical consideration of these zones reveals that Zone IV has the maxi- mum luxuriance of vegetation, with a complex community attaining almost a good balance between the red and brown algae, though the collections from the luxuriant beds of Karai Karuwal, Velangu Karuwal and Trichendur Poontottam Paars indicate the dominance of brown algae, particularly Sargassums. Among the red algae, the more striking ones are Gracilaria edulis (Gmel.) Silva, Hypnea valentiae (Turn.) Mont., and Polysiphonia tuticorinensis Boergs. The next best is Zone I, having an excellent growth of Avarainvillea erecta (Barkel.) Gepp, Bryopsis corymbosa J. Ag., Caulerpa fergusonii Murr., C. peltata Lamx., C. taxifolia (Vahl) Ag., Halimeda opuntia (L.) Lamx., and H. tuna (Ellis & Sol.) Lamx. Though the two Paars of this zone have excellent growth of green algae, the dominant community consists of red weeds. In Zones I and II, crustose coralline algae and epiphytic algae are very common. In these categories, notable ones are Acrochaetium spp., Climacosphenia moniligera Ehrenberg, Griffithsia sp., Leveillea jungermannioides (Mart, et Herv.) Harv., Licmophora abbreviata Ag., Lithophyllum sp., Lithothamnium fruticulosum (Kiitz.) Foslie, Melobesia pustulata Lamx., Polysiphonia platycarpa Boergs., and Sphacelaria furcigera Kiitz.
•Published with the permission of the Chief Research Officer, Central Marine Fisheries
Research Station, Mandapam Camp.
R . PR A SA N N A V A R M A
Ta b l e 1
Zone £
B
sz
N u m c o f Paar
D epth 1 in M eter
Substratum Algal
growth
I 1 Devi P aar 12-15 F la t ro c k w ith very littfe sand. excellent
2 Pcrnandu P aar !2-!4 do. do.
! 3 Vaippar P eriya P aar 12-14 T h ick sand over m uddy b e d with bro k en shells.
p o o r 4 Cnixian P a a r 12-18 R o ck y covered w ith sand an d
plenty o f shells.
fair 5 Viintivu A riipagam Puar 10-12 R o ck y an d coral bed covered
w ith sand.
excellent 6 N agara P aar 13-14 R ocky b e d with very little sand. fair 7 U ti Paar 14-17 F la t ro c k w ith very little sand. fair
8 Ucluruvi P a a r 14-17 do. poor
II 9 Kiliiti P a a r 13-14 do. fair
10 Alliivai A n ip ag am Paar 14 Sandy b e d w ith very few rocks. p oor 11- P atlarai P aar 14-18 F la t ro c k with little sa n d a n d
b ro k e n shells.
p o o r
12 Pasi P a a r 14-18 F ia t ro c k covered w ith sand. fair
13 A ltonbadu P a a r 16-18 Sandy b e d w ith bro k en shells. good
14 T olayiram Paav 15-21 R ocky w ith patches o f sand. exceUenl
^ 15 K u iad iar P a a r 15 F la t ro c k w ith v ery little sand. fair . 16 P a t K u d a n ja n Paav 14-17 R ocky v/ith very liu le sand
spread over.
poor
17 N eiijurichan P aar 15 •do. do.
18 Meia O nbadu P aar 14-16 do. good
19 V ada O n b ad u P aar 16-17 do. do.
20 Saith O nbadu P aar 14-16 do. excellent
III 21 Puli P u n d u P a a r 15-18 R ocky w ith patches o f saud- covered areas.
good 22 P in n a k a ja l S ultan P aar 17 Sandy w ith bro k en shells. p oor
23 S a n k u ra ija P a ttu P aar 20 do. do.
24 Rajavukku Sippi Soticha Paar
16-18 F la t rock with crevices a n d littJe sand.
fair 25 K udam uttu P a a r 14-16 F l a t ro c k with little to heavy
covering o f sand.
fair 26 |Saith K u d am u ttu P aar 14-16 F l a t ro c k w ith crevices. good . 27 K adian P aar 14-16 '] F is su re d ro c k w ith little sand. p oor 28 K anava P a a r 14-16 S andy bed.w ith bro k en shells. p oor 29 N aduvu M alai P id itta P aat 16-18 S a a d covered rocky bed. p oor
IV 30 N o rth K acuw al P a a t 16-18 R ocky w ilh little sand. excellent
! 31 K ara! K a ru w a l P a a r 16-18 do. do.
1 32 Velangu K aru w al P aar 16-18 do. do.
I 33 T rich en d u r PooQ toitaa
Paar 14-18 F is su re d ro c k w itti sand. do.
•T h is n um ber corresponds w ith th e num beriog o f P a a rs in te x t figure 1.
T he h rg e st single P aar in th e groups exam ined is in Zone I I —^Tolayiram P aar—
a n d has a vegetation which could be considered to represent the typical pearl bed flora. The collections from this P a a r show ed m ost o f the species collected froni the rest o f the 32 P aars, though the green algae dom inated. Zone III, as indicated earlier, had a balanced vegetation. H ere, th e rem arkable feature is the absence of tn o st o f the foUose form s ; even D ictyotas w ere very few. F u rth er, th e beds in this
zone were ra th e r p o o r a n d m ost o f the algae coUected were found growing ou the oyster sheUs.
Though m u ch em phasis cannot be given to size in relation to depth, it is worth mentioning th a t in general, the deep w ater algae are more delicate an d most o f them
a r e s n .a l l - s i z e d I n A Z f
d S S . . S V . " =>« v e r y m u c h r e d u c e d a n d i u t h e l a t t e r , c a .e i- f ic a tio n is a l s o v e r y l i t t l e .
F rom the list o f algae given in this account, it will be clear th a t th e ^ g a e of the ■ pearl beds are m ostly o f th e types fo u n d in c o ra l beds o r rocky regions o f th e In to n , coast irrespective o f depth. In o th er w ords, there seems to be no selectivity for algae with regard to depth. But, in the case o f green algae, the m ajority o f forms inhabit-- infs the deep waters belong to th e Siphonales. Very surprisingly, bine-green algae;
were totally absent in the above collections ; only twice th e a u th o r got a lew hlameats o^L vnsb yai'o., entangled a.r(iong H ypnea valeniiae. F u rth er, th e dom inance o f green algae depends on the presence o f sand o r m u d on the P aars ; very favourable growfli o f Caulerpas, P adiaas an d Halimedas were seen o n those P a a rs which are c o v e i^
with sand. Same is th e case with G racilarias a n d Hypneas,
L ist of algae In the four zones Zone I :
Avrainvillea erecta (Berkel.) G epp, B ryopsis corymbosa J. A g., Caulerpa fergu- sonii M urr,, C. peltata Lamx., C. taxifolia (Vahl) Ag., Climacosphenia moniligera Ehrenberg, Haiimeda opuntia (L.) Larax., H . tuna (ElUs & Sol.) L am x ., Licmophora abbreviata Ag., D ictyota atomaria H auck, D . bartayresiam L am x., P a d im com-
■ mersonii Bory, Spathoghssum asperum J. A g., Acanthophora spicifera (Vahl) Boergs., Herposiphoma insidiosa (G tev.) Falkenb., Heterosiphoiiia stuposa (J. A g.) De-Toni, H ypnea vakntiae (Turn.) M ont., Jania rubens (L.) Lam x., Laurencia obtusa (Huds.) Lamx., L . papillosa (Forssk.) G iev., Leveillea jm germ annioides (M a rt, et Herv.) H arv., LUhophylltin) spp., Lithothamniion fruticulosum (Kiitz.) F oshe, Melobesia pustula/ii Lamx., Polysiphonia plalycarpa Boergs., P- tuticormet^se Boergs.
Zone 11:
Avrainvillea erecta (Berkel.) G epp., Caulerpa cupressoides (Vahl) Ag., C. fergu- sonii M urr., C. peltata Lamx., C. taxifolia (Vahl) Ag., Cladophora utriculosa Kiitz., Climacosphenia moniligera Ehrenberg, Codium coronalim Setch., Haiimeda tuna (EH. et Sol.) Lamx., var. plaiydisca (Decsne.) B arton, Licmophora abbreviata Ag., M icrodictyon tenuius (Ag.) Decsne., N eom eris annulata Dickie, S tru \e a tuticorinensis Boergs., U!va lactuca L ., Dictyopreris australis Sond., D . delicatula Lam x., Dictyota b a r ta y m ia m Lamx., D . dichotoma (H uds.) Lam x., D . m axim a Z a n ., Ectocarpus hreviarticiilatus J. Ag., H orm ophysa triquetra (L.) K u tz., Padina commersonii Bory, P . gymnaspora (KU(z.) Vick., Sargassum w ightii (Grev. & M scr.) A g.. Spathoghssum asperum J. Ag., Sphacelaria tribuloides M e n e ^ . , Acanthophora spicifera ^ a h l ) Boergs., Acrocliaetium canarense Boergs., A . tuticorinense Am phiroa fragi- lissima (L.) Lamx., Botryodadia leptopoda (J. A g.) K ylin, Ceramium rubrum (Huds.) A g., C. ;raii5vm o/e C ollins et Herv., Champia indicaB oergs.. C . ( A g . ) Harv., Chondria transversoUs Boergs., Claudea m ultifida H arv., Galaxaura oblongata (Ell.
et Sol.) Lamx., Gelidiopsis variabilis (Grev.) Schm itz. Gracilaria edulis (Gmel.) Silva, H alym eniafloresia (Clem.) Ag., Heterosiphonia m uelleri (Sond.) D e-Toni, H . stuposa (J. Ag.) De-Toni, H ypnea m usciform is (W ulf.) L am x., H . pannosa J. A g., H . valen
iiae (Turn.) M ont., Laurencia obtusa (Huds.) L am x., L .paniculata J. Ag., Lophodadia lallemandi (M ont.) Schmitz, L . trichodados (M ett. et A g.) Schmitz, M artensia fragiUs H arv ., Melobesia pustulaia Lam x., N eurym enia fraxinifoU a (M ert.) J. A g., Polysi-.
phonia platycarpa Boergs., P. tuticorinensis Boergs., Raschera glom enilafa (Ag.) W>‘
(Sond.) Kylin, S c im ia h d te iB o e tg i., Spyridiafilam entosd (Wuif.) H arv., Vam oorsiia spectabiUs H arv.
Zone i n :
d a d o p b o va u lriculosa K iitz ,, B ryopsis plum osa ( H u d s .) A g ., H alim eda opuniia (Ell. e r S oL) L a m x .. E ciocarpus arabicus F ig . e t D e - N o t., D ictyo ta m axim a Z an ., Champia indica B o e r g s ., G alaxaura oblongata L a m x ., H ypnea m uscifonnis (W ulf.) L ain x ., Jania n ib eiis (L .) L a m x ., L aureuciu paniculala J . A g ., Lithotham nium fru - licuhsum ( K tiiz .) F o s lie , M e h b e sia p iistu la la L a m x ., R oschera glom erulata (Ag.) W . v B . , S p yrid ia fila m e n lo sa (W iiif.) H a r v ., S .fu s ifo r m is B oergs.
Zone I V :
This Zone h a d ihe sam e flora as Zone II, but in addition the following algae were also collected from the Paars o f this zone : Dictyopleris muelleri (Sond.) W. v B., Sargassum m yriocystum ]. Ag., Oiainpia globulifera Boergs., Dicfyuruspurpiirascens Bory, Grateloupia litbophila Boergs., an d Lynkiella kanivaleiisis Varma. O f these, Lynkiella karuvalensis an d Dictyurus piirptirascens were seen ony in K arai Karuwal andV elangu K aruw al Paars,
F rom all th e four Zones, Halophila ovalis (R. Br.) J. D . H ooker was collected and this m em ber o f th e H ydrocharitaceae was always associated with sand covered Paars.
Detailed descriptions o f some o f th e interesting species as well as a few doubt
ful genera will be published elsewhere.
Re p e r e n c e s
Boeroesbn, F . 1937a. C onti ibutions lo a S o u th In d ian n i A r i a e algal flora, I, / . Indian hot. Soc., 16 (1 & 2) 1-56.
--- . 1937b. C o n trib u tio n s to a S outh In d ia n m arine algal flora, II, Ibid., 16 (6) : 311-57.
___ ^___ . 1938. C o n trib u tio n s to a S o u th In d ia n m arine algal flora. III, Ibid., 17(4) ; 205-38.
