New distributional records of Indo-Pacific Bryozoans from East and West coast of India

Abstract

This study gives a systematic description of six bryozoans species such as Hippopodina iririkiensis (Tilbrook, 1999), Smittipora harmeriana (Canu & Bassler, 1929), Drepanophora indica (Hayward, 1988), Calyptotheca hastingsae (Harmer 1957), Tarsocryptus laboriosa (Tilbrook, 2006) and Poricella robusta (Hinck 1884) supported by Scanning Electron Micrographs, collected from the shallow waters (up to five meters) in Maharashtra coast and Islands of Gulf of Mannar Marine Biosphere Reserve (GoMMBR). These species have not been reported from the Indian waters previously, though they were identified as Indo-Pacific encrusting bryozoans with bio fouling capacities.