in Sri Lanka - Ministry of Environment

Provisional Checklist of Corals in Sri LankaArjan RajasuriyaNational Aquatic Resources & Research Development AgencyHistorical backgroundThe descriptions of hard corals from Sri Lanka dates back to the 19 th century (Dana, 1846;Edwards & Haime. 1860; Ridley. 1883; Ortmann 1889; Rehberg. 1892; Brook, 1892). Bourne(1905) described corals collected by Herdmann from Pearl Banks in the Gulf of Mannar.Thereafter, Pillai (1972) recorded 90 species of hard corals belonging to 39 genera. Thephysiographic zonation and ecological aspects of reefs at Hikkaduwa and Negombo wasdescribed by Mergner and Scheer (1974) and Arudpragasam (1984) respectively. Basedon previous records and collections from Hikkaduwa, Scheer (1984) recorded 40 speciesof hermatypic (zooxanthellate) corals. De Silva and Rajasuriya (1985, 1986 and 1987) andRajasuriya & De Silva (1988) identified 64 species of hermatypic corals in 15 genera thathad not been previously recorded for Sri Lanka and from specimens collected during surveyscarried out by the National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency. ThereafterRajasuriya (1987, 1994, 2007a and 2007b) has listed 15 new species from Sri Lanka. Veron(2000) described three species of hermatypic corals occurring in the southern coast of SriLanka of which two are new to science. The current checklist of hard coral species for SriLanka contains 208 species in 71 genera divided among 19 families.TaxonomyThe taxonomic status of some hard coral species recorded for Sri Lanka has changed sincethe checklist of hard corals for Sri Lanka was published by Rajasuriya & De Silva (1988). Threegenera; Euphyllia, Catalaphyllia and Plerogyra previously included in the family Caryophyllidaehas been placed in a new Family, Euphyllidae by Veron (2000). Fungiacyathus stephana thatwas previously included in the family Fungiidae is now listed under the family Fungiacyathidae.In a revision of the ‘Staghorn Corals of the World’, Wallace (1999) renamed Acropora formosaas Acropora muricata citing the original description of the species. However, Veron (2000)in ‘Corals of the World’ has retained Acropora formosa as the valid name for this species.However, this species is listed as Acropora muricata in the present checklist of stony coralsfor Sri Lanka.Distribution of Corals and reef habitats in Sri LankaMost Hard Corals exhibit a wide distribution within the Asian region. However, Veron (2000)has described two new species of hard coral from Sri Lanka; Podabacea lankaensis (Family:Fungiidae) and Echinopora robusta (Family: Faviidae) that have not been reported fromelsewhere to date. However, further investigations in the region are necessary to confirmwhether these two species are endemic to Sri Lanka. Reef surveys carried out by the NationalAquatic Resources Research and Development Agency indicate that the rarest speciesrecorded to date is Blastomussa merleti which was collected at Unawatuna in late 1980s. Thisspecies has not been reported from any other location in Sri Lanka.376