The distribution of shallow-water stony corals at Minicoy atoll in the Indian ocean with a check-list of species

Abstract

Hardly anything has been published on the corals and coral reefs of the Laccadive Archipelago since the pioneer work of Gardiner (1900, 1903, 1904, 1905). It was only proper, therefore, that the recent symposium on corals and coral reefs, organised by the Marine Biological Association of India, at Mandapam Camp, review the situation and adopt a resolution emphasising the need for further work on the reef systems of t his area as well as on the other little - investigated reefs of the Indian Ocean. The present communication results from the author's observations of the shallow water scleractinians of Minicoy (= Minikoi) Atoll during March- April 1968. A f a i r l y representative collection of reef corals was also assembled. A detailed systematic account of the species collected from the Laccadive Archipelago will be published elsewhere.