Monitoring of Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) of Noctiluca scintillans (Macartney) along the Gulf of Mannar, India using in-situ and satellite observations and its impact on wild and maricultured finfishes.

In the Gulf of Mannar, Noctiluca scintillans blooms have been observed three times in September 2019, September and October 2020, and October 2021. It was determined and measured how the bloom period affects ichthyo-diversity. Noctiluca cell density varied slightly from year to year, ranging from1.8433 × 103 cells/L to 1.3824 x 106cells/L. In surface and sea bottom waters, high ammonia levels and low dissolved oxygen levels were noted. During the bloom period a significant increase in chlorophyll concentration was found. The amount of chlorophyll in GOM was extremely high, according to remote sensing photos made using MODIS-Aqua 4 km data. Acute hypoxia caused the death of wild fish near coral reefs and also in fish reared in sea cages. The decay of the bloom resulted in significant ammonia production, a dramatic drop in the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water, and ultimately stress, shock, and mass mortality of fishes.

A new diminutive subterranean eel loach species of the genus Pangio (Teleostei: Cobitidae) from Southern India.

A second subterranean species of Pangio is described from an old dug-out well in Kerala, Southern India. The new species, Pangio pathala is unique within the genus in possessing the highest number (27) of caudal vertebrae. Pangio pathala is distinguished from P. bhujia, the only subterranean Pangio species known so far, in having four pectoral-fin rays (vs. three), five anal-fin rays (vs. six), 67 vertebrae (40 abdominal and 27 caudal vertebrae) (vs. 6263), and a raw genetic distance of 8.18.7% in the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 gene. This paper also provides an additional record of Pangio bhujia from a location 40 km south of the type locality.