New Distribution Report of Ten Scleractinian Corals to Indian Water from Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Diversification in the components of underwater marine life is truly fascinating in Andaman and Nicobar group of islands. These group of islands show several scleractinian species throughout their continental shelf in a fringing pattern. With the extensive faunal survey work, ten scleractinian corals such as Montipora corbettensis Veron and Wallace, 1984 of Acroporidae family, Zoopilus echinatus Dana, 1846 of Fungiidae family, Fenner and Veron, 2000 and Pavona diffluens (Lamarck, 1816) of Agariciidae family, Stylophora danae Milne Edwards and Haime, 1850 of Pocilloporidae family, Australomussa rowleyensis Veron, 1985 and Isophyllia rigida (Dana, 1846) of Mussidae family, Coscinaraea exesa (Dana, 1846) of Siderastreidae family and Heterocyathus aequicostatus MED and H, 1848 of Caryophylliidae family were newly recorded in the Indian water. The paper dealt with the taxonomical features of these newly recorded corals along with their distribution.