Checklist and distribution of the freshwater and marine ... - Calodema

Calodema Volume 9 (2007)
Checklist and distribution of the freshwater and marine Cnidaria
(Coelenterata) of Bangladesh
by Prof. Bidhan Chandra Das*
*Department of Zoology, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi-6205, Bangladesh.
Das, B.C. (2007). Checklist and distribution of the freshwater and marine Cnidaria (Coelenterata) of
Bangladesh. Calodema, 9: 15-18.
Abstract: The present work is a comprehensive list and distribution of the freshwater and marine Cnidaria
(Coelenterata) of Bangladesh based on published information. The list includes 21 species under 20 genera of
19 families in 6 orders representing 3 classes. It provides for each species a set of information, which includes
its current scientific name, collection sites, localities of collection and references relating to it. It also provides a
guideline of the classification of Cnidaria (Coelenterata) available in Bangladesh.
Introduction
Bangladesh (formerly East Pakistan) that came into existence in 1971, lies approximately
between 20°-24¢ North Latitude and 88°-1¢ East Longitude, has an area of 1,44,000 sq km.,
situated on the north eastern side of the South Asian Subcontinent. The history of cnidarian
studies in Bangladesh should falls into three definite eras: the British era prior to
independence of India and Pakistan, i.e. before 1947; the Pakistani era, from 1947 to 1971;
and the post – independent era, from 1971 till to date. The real scientific study of the fauna
as a whole began only after the arrival of the British on the Indian political scene about two
hundred years ago. After the political unification of the country by the British, surveying and
documentation by the bands of British officers civil as well as military stationed at different
remote corners of the subcontinent including present day Bangladesh were accomplished. The
Indian fauna were published in the 19th century, the work on the India-Office sponsored
“Fauna of British India” began. These were voluminous and meticulously written books in
series, dedicated to each separate faunal group. In these series, Annandale (1911) made
excellent contributions to Cnidaria. This work referred to many places and animals from the
Indian Sub-continent, but very little information is available on the cnidarian fauna of East
Bengal, presently called Bangladesh.
During Pakistani era, the situation was more frustrating. No work was done on this group of
organisms from 1947 to 1971. After independence, few workers published stray papers on
this group in Bangladesh. However, till to date nobody tried to consolidate all these available
information on Cnidaria into a system in Bangladesh. Thus, the time has now come when
Bangladesh should have a consolidated account of Cnidaria. Accordingly, an attempt was
made to prepare such account on the basis of published information.
The account provides for each species a set of information, which includes its current
scientific name, collection sites, localities of collection and references relating to it. It also
provides a guideline of the classification of Cnidaria (Coelenterata) available in Bangladesh.
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Calodema Volume 9 (2007)
ANNOTATED LIST OF SPECIES REPORTED FOR BANGLADESH
(Abbreviations: RF= Reported From, CS= Collection Site)
CLASS – HYDROZOA
Order – Hydroida
Family – Plumulariidae
Plumularia insignis Allman, 1883 (=Plumularia flabellum Allman, 1883) [Ref.
Bangladesh: Haque, 1977; RF–St. Martin Island (Bangladesh); D’D’Silva et al., 1999;
CS–Seashore; RF–St. Martins Island, Sonadia Island; Roy et al., 2000; CS –Seashore; RF-Bay
of Bengal].
Family – Aequoreidae
Aequorea pensilis (Haeckel, 1879) Cornelius, 1995 {=Aequorea pensilis (Eschscholtz,
1829)} [Ref. Bangladesh: D’D’Silva et al., 1999; CS-Seashore; RF-Cox’s Bazar; Roy et al.,
2000; CS-Seashore; RF-Bay of Bengal].
Family – Campanulariidae
Thyroscyphus fruticosus (Esper, 1793) Mammen, 1965 (=Campanularia juncea Allman)
[Ref. Bangladesh: Haque, 1977]
Family – Hydridae
Hydra vulgaris Pallas, 1766 [Ref. Bangladesh: Annandale, 1911; CS – Padma (Ganga) River,
RF- Rajshahi; Huda and Chowdhury, 1982; HA-Culex, Paramaecium, Cyclops, Daphnia;
CS-Lake at University Campus; RF- Chittagong; Ali and Chakraborti, 1992; CS-Freshwater].
Order – Siphonophora
Family – Physaliidae
Physalia physalis (Linnaeus, 1758) Totton, 1965 {=Physalia utriculus (La-Martinière)
Esch.} [Ref. Bangladesh: Haque, 1977; RF – Cox’s Bazar coast].
CLASS –ANTHOZOA
Order – Pennatulacea
Family – Virgulariidae
Scytalium tentaculatum Kölliker, 1880 [Ref. Bangladesh: Haque, 1977; RF – Cox’s Bazar
coast, Sonadia Island].
Family – Renillidae
Renilla reniformis (Pallas, 1766) Deichmann, 1936 [Ref. Bangladesh: Haque, 1977; RF-
Cox’s Bazar coast, Sonadia Island, Moheshkhali Island; Roy et al., 2000; CS-Seashore, RF-
Bay of Bengal].
Family – Veretillidae
Cavernularia obesa Valenciennes in Milne-Edwards and Haime, 1850 [Ref. Bangladesh:
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Calodema Volume 9 (2007)
Haque, 1977; RF-Cox’s Bazar coast; Roy et al., 2000; CS-Seashore, RF-Bay of Bengal].
Order – Ceriantharia
Family – Cerianthidae
Cerianthus membranaceus (Spallanzini, 1784) Haime, 1854 [Ref. Bangladesh: Haque,
1977; RF- Cox’s Bazar coast, Sonadia Island, Moheshkhali Island]
Order – Actiniaria
Family – Haliactiidae
Phytocoetes gangeticus Annandale, 1915 [Ref. Bangladesh: Haque, 1977; RF-Moheshkhali
Island].
Family –Sagartiidae
Actinothoe modesta (Verrill, 1866) Carlgren, 1949 (=Sagartia modesta Verrill, 1866)
[Ref. Bangladesh: Roy et al., 2000; CS- Seashore, RF- Bay of Bengal].
Family – Diadumenidae
Diadumene schilleriana (Stoliczka, 1869) Carlgren, 1949 [Ref. Bangladesh: Haque, 1977;
RF-Cox’s Bazar coast].
Family – Actinostolidae
Stomphia sp. [Ref. Bangladesh: Roy et al., 2000; CS –Seashore, RF-Bay of Bengal].
Family – Hormathiidae
Adamsia carciniopados (Otto, 1823) Lessona, 1865 [Ref. Bangladesh: Roy et al., 2000; CS-
Seashore, RF-Bay of Bengal].
Family – Metridiidae
Metridium senile (Linnaeus) McMurrich, 1911 [Ref. Bangladesh: Roy et al., 2000; CS-
Seashore, RF-Bay of Bengal].
Family – Actiniidae
Anemonia indicus Parulekar, 1968 [Ref. Bangladesh: Haque, 1977; RF: St Martin Island].
Bunodosoma granulifera (Le Sueur, 1817) Verrill, 1899 [Ref. Bangladesh: Haque, 1977;
RF-Cox’s Bazar coast].
CLASS – SCYPHOZOA
Order – Rhizostomae
Family – Rhizostomatidae
Rhizostoma pulmo Macri, 1778 [Ref. Bangladesh: D’Silva et al., 1999; CS- Seashore; RF-
Cox’s Bazar; Roy et al., 2000; CS-Seashore; RF-Bay of Bengal].
Rhizostoma sp. [Ref. Bangladesh: D’Silva et al., 1999; CS: Seashore; RF: Cox’s Bazar; Roy
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Calodema Volume 9 (2007)
et al., 2000; CS : Seashore; RF: Bay of Bengal]
Family – Cepheidae
Cephea conifera Haeckel, 1880 [Ref. Bangladesh: D’Silva et al., 1999; CS-Estuarine river,
RF-Sunderban; Roy et al., 2000; CS-Seashore, RF-Bay of Bengal].
Family – Cassiopeidae
Cassiopeia xamachana Bigelow, 1882 [Ref. Bangladesh: D’Silva et al., 1999; CS-Seashore,
RF-Cox’s Bazar; Roy et al., 2000; CS-Seashore, RF-Bay of Bengal]
Acknowledgements
Thanks are due to Prof. Daphne G. Fautin, Curator, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Natural
History Museum and Biodiversity, Research Center, Haworth Hall, University of Kansas, 1200
Sunnyside Avenue, Lawrence, Kansas 66045-7534 USA; Dr. Stephen D. Cairns, Research
Scientist/Curator, Smithsonian Institution, P. O. Box 37012 NMNH, W-329, MRC-0163
Washington, D. C. 20013-7012; and Dr Peter Schuchert, Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle,
Département des Invertébrés, 1 route de Malagnou, case postale 6434, CH-1211 Genève 6,
Switzerland for their kind helps to check the synonyms and authors names.
References
Ali, S. & Chakraborti, T. (1992). Bangladesher Mitha Panir Amerudandi Prani (Freshwater
Invertebrates of Banglaesh.) In Bengali. Bangla Academy, Dhaka, Bangladesh: 1-207.
Annandale, N. (1911). The fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma. Freshwater
Sponges, Hydroids & Polyzoa, Taylor and Francis, London: 1-251 (5 plates).
D’Silva, J., Chowdhury, A. & Roy, P.K. (1999). Soft-bodied Cnidarians from the Bay of Bengal.
J. Noami, 16 (1 & 2): 1-8.
Haque, M. M. (1977). Some littoral Coelentrates of Bangladesh and Pakistan Coasts. Bagladesh
J. Zool., 5 (1): 33-40.
Huda, K.M.N. & Chowdhury, S.S. (1982). Laboratory culture of Hydra vulgaris (Pallas) with
notes on their feeding ability on mosquito larvae. Chittagong University Studies, Part II,
6: 19-23.
Roy, P. K., D’Silva, J. D. & Chowdhury, A. N. (2000). Soft-bodied Cnidarians from the Bay of
Bengal, Bangladesh. Souvenir, Abstrats 12th Biennial Nat. Conf. Zool. Soc. Bangladesh :
58 p.
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