The Indian species of Testudinella (Rotifera: Flosculariacea: Testudinellidae) and their distribution

Abstract

Our plankton and semi-plankton collections from India revealed 14 species of Testudinella including two undetermined species yet awaiting descriptions. The Oriental endemic T. insinuata is a new record from India while the Australasian T. walkeri and the palaeotropical T. brevicaudata and T. greeni are other globally interesting species. Testudinella amphora, T. brevicaudata, T. dendradena, T. greeni, T. parva semiparva, T. tridentata and T. walkeri are characterized by distribution restricted till date to northeast India (NEI); T. insinuata is restricted to the floodplains of the Kashmir valley of Jammu and Kashmir state of western Himalayas; and T. incisa and T. mucronata are known for valid reports from Tamil Nadu and Jammu and Kashmir, respectively. T. emarginula, T. patina and T. tridentata are believed to be cryptic species-complexes and thus desired ecological and genetic analysis of local populations. This study merits interest vis-à-vis biodiversity and distribution of the Indian Rotifera.

Keywords

• biodiversity, interesting elements, littoral-periphytic rotifer, richness.