Seagrass ecosystem adjacent to mangroves store higher amount of organic carbon of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Andaman Sea.

This study quantified the organic carbon (Corg) stocks in Thalassia hemprichii meadows that are (i) adjacent to mangroves (MG), and (ii) without mangroves (WMG), in tropical Andaman and Nicobar Islands (ANI) of India. In the top 10 cm of the sediment, Corg content was 1.8-fold higher at the MG sites than the WMG sites. The total Corg stocks (sediment + biomass) in the 144 ha of seagrass meadows at MG sites (988.74 ± 138.77 Mg C) was 1.9-fold higher than in 148 ha of WMG sites. Protection and management of T. hemprichii meadows of ANI can lead to emission avoidance of around 5447.33 (MG; 3595.12 + WMG: 1852.21) tons of CO2. The social cost of the carbon stocks in these T. hemprichii meadows is around US$ 0.30 and 0.16 million at the MG and WMG sites, respectively, showcasing the importance of ANI's seagrass ecosystems as nature-based solutions for climate change mitigation.

Further addition to the Indian fauna of Euryleptidae (Polycladida: Cotylea) with description of a new Cycloporus Lang, 1884 and Eurylepta Ehrenberg, 1831.

A study of polyclad fauna in Maharashtra along the west coast of India and the Andaman group of Islands was carried out in the period 20182020. The paper describes Cycloporus decoratus sp. nov. and Eurylepta alicula sp. nov. based on external and internal anatomical features. The study also reports Eurylepta turma for the first time from the Indo-Pacific region and this is the second record of the species after its first formal description from Brazil in 1952. The paper comments on the distribution pattern of the genus Eurylepta and Cycloporus.

Diversity of Conopeptides and Conoenzymes from the Venom Duct of the Marine Cone Snail Conus bayani as Determined from Transcriptomic and Proteomic Analyses.

Marine cone snails are predatory gastropods characterized by a well-developed venom apparatus and highly evolved hunting strategies that utilize toxins to paralyze prey and defend against predators. The venom of each species of cone snail has a large number of pharmacologically active peptides known as conopeptides or conotoxins that are usually unique in each species. Nevertheless, venoms of only very few species have been characterized so far by transcriptomic approaches. In this study, we used transcriptome sequencing technologies and mass spectrometric methods to describe the diversity of venom components expressed by a worm-hunting species, Conus bayani. A total of 82 conotoxin sequences were retrieved from transcriptomic data that contain 54 validated conotoxin sequences clustered into 21 gene superfamilies including divergent gene family, 17 sequences clustered to 6 different conotoxin classes, and 11 conotoxins classified as unassigned gene family. Seven new conotoxin sequences showed unusual cysteine patterns. We were also able to identify 19 peptide sequences using mass spectrometry that completely overlapped with the conotoxin sequences obtained from transcriptome analysis. Importantly, herein we document the presence of 16 proteins that include five post-translational modifying enzymes obtained from transcriptomic data. Our results revealed diverse and novel conopeptides of an unexplored species that could be used extensively in biomedical research due to their therapeutic potentials.

Systematic revision of the genus Peronia Fleming, 1822 (Gastropoda, Euthyneura, Pulmonata, Onchidiidae).

The genus Peronia Fleming, 1822 includes all the onchidiid slugs with dorsal gills. Its taxonomy is revised for the first time based on a large collection of fresh material from the entire Indo-West Pacific, from South Africa to Hawaii. Nine species are supported by mitochondrial (COI and 16S) and nuclear (ITS2 and 28S) sequences as well as comparative anatomy. All types available were examined and the nomenclatural status of each existing name in the genus is addressed. Of 31 Peronia species-group names available, 27 are regarded as invalid (twenty-one synonyms, sixteen of which are new, five nomina dubia, and one homonym), and four as valid: Peronia peronii (Cuvier, 1804), Peronia verruculata (Cuvier, 1830), Peronia platei (Hoffmann, 1928), and Peronia madagascariensis (Labbé, 1934a). Five new species names are created: P. griffithsi Dayrat & Goulding, sp. nov., P. okinawensis Dayrat & Goulding, sp. nov., P. setoensis Dayrat & Goulding, sp. nov., P. sydneyensis Dayrat & Goulding, sp. nov., and P. willani Dayrat & Goulding, sp. nov. Peronia species are cryptic externally but can be distinguished using internal characters, with the exception of P. platei and P. setoensis. The anatomy of most species is described in detail here for the first time. All the secondary literature is commented on and historical specimens from museum collections were also examined to better establish species distributions. The genus Peronia includes two species that are widespread across the Indo-West Pacific (P. verruculata and P. peronii) as well as endemic species: P. okinawensis and P. setoensis are endemic to Japan, and P. willani is endemic to Northern Territory, Australia. Many new geographical records are provided, as well as a key to the species using morphological traits.

A multi-species occupancy modeling approach to access the impacts of land use and land cover on terrestrial vertebrates in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), Western Ghats, India.

Urbanization is one of the main drivers in the conversion of natural habitats into different land use and land cover types (LULC) which threaten the local as well as global biodiversity. This impact is particularly alarming in tropical countries like India, where ~18% of the world's population live, and its ever-growing economy (i.e., industrial development) expanded urban areas by several folds. We undertook this study to examine the impacts of urbanization (i.e., LULC) on terrestrial vertebrates (mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians) in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), Western Ghats, India. We sampled different habitats ranged from highly disturbed urban areas to less disturbed forested areas. Multiple sampling methods such as quadrat sampling, line transect, point count, and camera trapping were used to quantify the target taxa. We used multi-species occupancy modeling in the Bayesian framework to estimate detection probability and occupancy and to assess the effect of various LULC on different species. All four groups showed a significant negative impact of increasing anthropogenic habitat cover on occupancy. Out of 213 species detected in this study, 96% of mammals, 85% of birds, 93.75% of amphibians, and 69.43% of reptiles showed a negative effect of anthropogenic habitat cover. Evidence suggests that historical and recent human disturbances could have played an important role in transforming this area from semi-evergreen and moist deciduous forest to open, scrubby, dry deciduous, and fire-prone landscape. This might be the reason for the high occupancy of open and degraded forest habitat preferring species in our study area. We recommend species-rich areas in the MMR, e.g., Karnala Bird Sanctuary (KBS) and Prabalgad-Matheran-Malanggad Hill Range (PMMHR), must be conserved through habitat restoration, ecotourism, public awareness, and policymaking.

Integrative description of two new Cratena species (Mollusca: Nudibranchia) from western India.

Among the Facelinidae, the genus Cratena comprises nine valid species, four of them presenting a similar colour pattern with white body, reddish diverticula in the cerata and a pair of orange spots laterally on the head. Based on an integrative molecular phylogenetic and morphological approach two new species from western India are described, Cratena poshitraensis sp. nov. and Cratena pawarshindeorum sp. nov. Both species are similar to C. peregrina and C. minor but differ in body length, shape and size of orange spots on the head, C. poshitraensis sp. nov. presenting narrow spots dorsally projected on the base of each oral tentacle while C. pawarshindeorum sp. nov. has large and conspicuous orange spots that embrace dorsally and ventrally the base of the oral tentacles. According to our phylogenetic analysis, Facelina turned out paraphyletic and Cratena polyphyletic with an unclear relationship to Myja and Facelinidae sp.2, and Cratena pilata clustering distant to other Cratena species.

A new species and new records of Onchidium slugs (Gastropoda, Euthyneura, Pulmonata, Onchidiidae) in South-East Asia.

A new species, Onchidium melakense Dayrat & Goulding, sp. nov., is described, bringing the total to four known species in the genus Onchidium Buchannan, 1800. Onchidium melakense is a rare species with only nine individuals found at three mangrove sites in the Andaman Islands and the Strait of Malacca (western Peninsular Malaysia and eastern Sumatra). The new species is delineated based on mitochondrial (COI and 16S) and nuclear (ITS2 and 28S) DNA sequences as well as comparative anatomy. Each Onchidium species is characterized by a distinct color and can easily be identified in the field, even in the Strait of Malacca where there are three sympatric Onchidium species. An identification key is provided. In addition, Onchidium stuxbergi (Westerlund, 1883) is recorded for the first time from eastern Sumatra, and Onchidium pallidipes Tapparone-Canefri, 1889, of which the type material is described and illustrated here, is regarded as a new junior synonym of O. stuxbergi.

Intertidal Euryleptid polyclads and description of a new Stylostomum Lang, 1884 from Maharashtra, India.

The family Euryleptidae, consisting of 19 genera, is as colourful and distinct as the family Pseudocerotidae. Five species of Euryleptidae encountered during surveys in the intertidal rocky shores of Ratnagiri, Maharashtra are presented in the current study. Cycloporus variegatus is new records to India. Cycloporus australis and C. reticulatus are new records to India and reported for the second time after their first formal descriptions in 1982 and 2002 respectively. Eurylepta aurantiaca is a new record to the Indian ocean. The study also describes the new species Stylostomum mixtomaculatum sp. nov. and it is the first report of the genus Stylostomum from the tropical realms. Since Stylostomum and Acerotisa are known to be closely allied genera, efforts have been made to review their species assemblages and throw light on the existing ambiguities within the available information. With this report, the number of euryleptid species from Indian waters increases to eight.

Integrative taxonomy of the genus Onchidium Buchannan, 1800 (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Pulmonata, Onchidiidae).

In an effort to clarify the species diversity of onchidiid slugs, the taxonomy of the genus Onchidium Buchannan, 1800 is revised using an integrative approach. New, fresh specimens were collected in a large number of places, including type localities. The genus Onchidium is redefined here as a clade including only three species which are strongly supported by both morphological and molecular data. All three species were already named: the type species Onchidium typhae Buchannan, 1800, Onchidium stuxbergi (Westerlund, 1883), and Onchidium reevesii (J.E. Gray, 1850). With the exception of a re-description of Onchidium typhae published in 1869, all three species are re-described here for the first time. First-hand observations on the color variation of live animals in their natural habitat are provided. The anatomy of each species is described. Important nomenclatural issues are addressed. In particular, Labella Starobogatov, 1976 is regarded as a junior synonym of Onchidium and Labella ajuthiae (Labbé, 1935) and Onchidium nigrum (Plate, 1893) are regarded as junior synonyms of Onchidium stuxbergi. The nomenclatural status of several other species names is discussed as well. Many new records are provided across South-East Asia and precise ranges of geographic distributions are provided for the genus Onchidium and its three species. Distinctive features that help distinguish the genus Onchidium from other onchidiids are provided, as well as an identification key for the three species.

Insights into Diversity and Imputed Metabolic Potential of Bacterial Communities in the Continental Shelf of Agatti Island.

Marine microbes play a key role and contribute largely to the global biogeochemical cycles. This study aims to explore microbial diversity from one such ecological hotspot, the continental shelf of Agatti Island. Sediment samples from various depths of the continental shelf were analyzed for bacterial diversity using deep sequencing technology along with the culturable approach. Additionally, imputed metagenomic approach was carried out to understand the functional aspects of microbial community especially for microbial genes important in nutrient uptake, survival and biogeochemical cycling in the marine environment. Using culturable approach, 28 bacterial strains representing 9 genera were isolated from various depths of continental shelf. The microbial community structure throughout the samples was dominated by phylum Proteobacteria and harbored various bacterioplanktons as well. Significant differences were observed in bacterial diversity within a short region of the continental shelf (1-40 meters) i.e. between upper continental shelf samples (UCS) with lesser depths (i.e. 1-20 meters) and lower continental shelf samples (LCS) with greater depths (i.e. 25-40 meters). By using imputed metagenomic approach, this study also discusses several adaptive mechanisms which enable microbes to survive in nutritionally deprived conditions, and also help to understand the influence of nutrition availability on bacterial diversity.

Speciation and dispersal along continental coastlines and island arcs in the Indo-West Pacific turbinid gastropod genus Lunella.

Species trees were produced for the Indo-West Pacific (IWP) gastropod genus Lunella using MrBayes, BEAST, and *BEAST with sequence data from four genes. Three fossil records were used to calibrate a molecular clock. Eight cryptic species were recognized using statistical methods for species delimitation in combination with morphological differences. However, our results suggest caution in interpreting ESUs defined solely by the general mixed Yule Coalescent model in genera like Lunella, with lower dispersal abilities. Four almost entirely allopatric species groups were recovered that differ in ecology and distribution. Three groups occur predominantly along continental coastlines and one occurs on island arrays. Sympatric species occur only in the torquata and coronata groups along coastlines, whereas species in the cinerea group, distributed in two-dimensional island arrays, occur in complete allopatry. Dispersal along island arcs has been important in the maintenance of species distributions and gene flow among populations in the cinerea group. The emergence of new islands and their eventual subsidence over geological time has had important consequences for the isolation of populations and the eventual rise of new species in Lunella.