Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

FIRST RECORD OF FIVE SPECIES OF ASCIDIANS (TUNICATA: ASCIDIACEA) FROM OKHA, GUJARAT

Seema Sachin Jain and Darshan Sunil Marjadi

Abstract

Ascidians are filter-feeding organisms that are sedentary and hermaphrodite in nature. In India we have 263 ascidian species coming under 41 genera, 12 families, 3 suborders, and 2 orders of the class Ascidiacea. In this study, specimens of ascidians were collected in the intertidal zones of Okha, Gujarat for the very first time. Five solitary ascidians are recorded in this region, adding to the biodiversity of Gujarat. Also, a literature review on the distribution of ascidians revealed that this is the first report of these ascidians from Okha, Gujarat. A note on the taxonomic features of these specimens is discussed in the present study.