New species of soft corals (Octocorallia) on the reef of Marine National Park, Gulf of Kachchh

ABOUT AUTHOR
J.S. Yogesh Kumar*, S. Geetha, Ch. Satyanarayana¹, K. Venkataraman² and R.D. Kamboj³
*Zoological Survey of India, DST–SERB project–ANRC, Port Blair-744103. Research Department of Zoology, Kamaraj College, Thoothukud–628002.
¹Zoological Survey of India, (II Floor) Fire Proof Spirit Building, Indian Museum Complex, 27 Jawaharlal Nehru Road Kolkata – 700 016.
²Zoological Survey of India, M-Block, New Alipore, Kolkata –700053.
³Chief Conservator of Forest, Marine National Park, Gulf of Kachchh, Jamnagar-361001.

Abstract
Newly recorded two species, viz., Carijoa riisei (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1860) and Subergorgia suberosa (Pallas, 1766) falling under the order Alcyoniidae, family Clavulariidae, and order Gorgonacea Lamouroux, 1816, Family Subergorgiidae Gray, 1859 respectively are described and illustrated from Marine National Park, Gulf of Kachchh. The form of the sclerites in Carijoa sp. is mostly slender, rod like, ornamented with thorns and prickles (0.1 mm to 0.4 mm). Subergorgia sp. has warty spindles, ovals and flattened spindles (0.05 mm to 0.25 mm). Photomicrographs of the sclerites illustrate their form, size and relative abundance.
Keywords: Carijoa riisei, Subergorgia suberosa,  Octocorallia, Marine National Park, Gulf of Kachchh.