A note on zoogeographic range extension of Endopachys grayi Milne-Edwards & Haime, 1848 (Scleractinia: Dendrophyllidae) from Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Abstract

The family Dendrophylliidae represents solitary as well as colonial corals with a total of 183 extant valid species under the Order Scleractinia, distributed from littoral to the abyssal depths. During a recent deep-sea survey conducted by FORV Sagar Sampada (FORVSS367), a specimen of azooxanthellate dendrophylliid i.e. Endopachys grayi Milne-Edwards & Haime, 1848 was collected at the depth of 685 m from Nicobar waters which indicates its range extension to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in Indo-Pacific region while the previously reported depth range of the species is 37 to 386 m. The present report of E. grayi is a new addition to this archipelago.