Biodiversity of Shipworms (Mollusca: Bivalvia: Teredinidae) in the Vicinity of a Tropical Mangrove Ecosystem along Bay of Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, India

Abstract

In efforts to generate information on the occurrence and distribution of marine wood borers from unexplored areas of the east coast, Bhavanapadu (18° 32' 11"N, 84° 18' 21"E) back water system, adjoining Bay of Bengal; in Srikakulam District of Andhra Pradesh was surveyed. Infested samples of unprotected stake net poles of Casuarina timber, obtained from the water body, revealed the occurrence of several teredinid borers. Regarding various community characteristics of these wood boring organisms, species richness was found to be 16, density 2036 individuals.m-2, diversity 1.835 and evenness 0.950. Of these forms, the genus Bankia represented by 7 taxa, followed by Teredo with 4 taxa, were found to be dominant. A few rare teredinids such as Teredo bartschi Clapp, Spathoteredo obtusa (Sivickis), Bankia martensi (Stempell), B. gracilis Moll, B. rochi Moll, B. philippinensis Bartsch and B. destructa Clench and Turner were present in the collections. The occurrence and distribution of all these borers was discussed in the light of available literature from other coastal localities in the country and elsewhere.