Occurrence And Morphological Identification Of Armina Juliana (Nudibranchia: Arminidae) From Thoothukudi New Harbour (Puthiyathuraimugam) The Gulf Of Mannar, Thoothukudi Coast, Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract

Significantly, this is exploratory research on the marine biodiversity especially, the Nudibranch named Armina juliana (Bergh, 1861). It is a marine mollusk belonging to the family Arminidae. This study documents its occurrence and morphological characteristics from the Gulf of Mannar, Thoothukudi coast, Tamil Nadu, India. The specimen was collected at a depth range of 50 to 100 m (8° 47ʹ 39ʺ N and 078°09ʹ 36ʺ E) by using a drift gill net in a traditional fishing craft during a biodiversity survey. Moreover, the specimen identification was confirmed based on its external morphology, including body shape, coloration and radular structure. The literature review on the distribution of this species revealed that this is the first report of Armina juliana from the Gulf of Mannar, Tuticorin coast of India. Certainly, the presence of A. juliana in this region highlights the ecological significance of the Gulf of Mannar as a biodiversity hotspot and underscores the need for further research on sea slug diversity in Indian coastal waters.