The taxonomy of Indian gorgonians: an assessment of the descriptive records of gorgonians (Anthozoa: Octocorallia: Alcyonacea) recorded as occurring in the territorial waters of India, along with neighbouring regions and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and the highlighting of perceived unethical practice.

The descriptive taxonomic records of a total of 226 gorgonian species (Octocorallia: Alcyonacea) from Indian seas and neighbouring areas were surveyed and critically reviewed with the main aim of providing a more reliable checklist. The published accounts comprise: species originally described from within the region: subsequent descriptive records of the taxa originally described from within the region; and subsequent descriptive records of species originally described from outside of the region. The reviews include an attempt to assess the validity of all subsequent descriptive records, although in numerous cases the species have been assessed as unrecognisable from their type descriptions. Numerous new binomial combinations, some tentative, have been proposed. The assessment of the validity of a species record is expressed as an "Opinion" with supporting justification. Of the 226 species, there are 111 that were originally described from locations outside of Indian waters and have subsequently been described and recorded as occurring in the region. Of these, there are 9 species where we were unable to decide if the records are valid or not, 94 were assessed as invalid, 5 as possibly valid and 3 were considered valid. The survey highlights four major problems regarding the reliability of some more recently published taxonomic records for the region: the use of 'predatory journals'; plagiarism; the use of manipulated imagery in more than one description; and taxonomic decision apparently based on expediency.

DNA barcodes for the pipefish genus Corythoichthys (Actinopterygii: Syngnathiformes) from the Indian Ocean provide insights into cryptic diversity.

The syngnathiform genus Corythoichthys comprises a group of taxonomically complex, tail-brooding (Syngnathinae) pipefishes widely distributed in the Indo-Pacific region. Due to the presence of overlapping interspecific morphological characters, reliable taxonomic information on Corythoichthys is still lacking. Using 52 CO1 sequences, including seven newly generated, a phylogenetic analysis was carried out to understand the genetic diversity, distribution and 'species groups' within the genus Corythoichthys. Species delimitation using Automatic Barcode Gap Discovery (ABGD) analysis confirmed the presence of 13 species which include 'species-complexes' previously considered as a single taxon. Our results revealed the presence of three species groups, 'C. amplexus', 'C. conspicillatus' and 'C. haematopterus' and four unidentified/undescribed species in the wider Indo-Pacific realm. Interestingly, 60 sequences and a mitogenome identified as Corythoichthys in GenBank are misidentified at the genus level. Based on our findings, we suggest that the taxonomy and systematics of Corythoichthys need to be re-examined and validated using integrative methods, and care should be taken while selecting specimens for genetic studies.

Insights on COVID-19 impacts, challenges and opportunities for India's biodiversity research: From complexity to building adaptations.

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted every sphere of human society. The paradigm shift of focus to COVID-related research and management has significantly affected various scientific domains, including biodiversity conservation. We assessed the perceptions of early-career researchers working for biodiversity conservation across India, to understand the impacts of the ongoing pandemic on their research. We administered an online questionnaire survey to 565 respondents, who identified four key areas that are affected by the pandemic: (1) research, (2) conservation (3) education, and (4) communication and networking. Respondents (89.2%) perceived that their fieldwork, followed by travel for meetings and funding were the most affected due to COVID-19 outbreak and subsequent lockdown. Nonetheless, responses on the impact varied between different professional categories and were disproportionate. Our study highlights that majority of the respondents (80%) advocate for stakeholder-driven policies and management practices as the most effective strategy to promote biodiversity conservation, in the post-COVID-19 world. To this end, as a post-pandemic response, we propose holistic solutions such as optimising research funding and collaborations, and supporting and strengthening them by citizen science and big data analytics. Our findings and recommendations will also serve as a paradigm for post-COVID-19 biodiversity policy, advocacy and implementation of the post 2020 biodiversity action plan that supports eco civilization.