New distributional record of Calliactis polypus (Forsskål, 1775) (Cnidaria: Actiniaria: Hormathiidae) from Lakshadweep waters, Arabian Sea

Abstract

Cnidarians are highly diverse invertebrate group and are considered ecologically important species that provide food and shelter for a wide variety of fauna. The present study reports a hermit crab anemone, Calliactis polypus (Forsskål, 1775), a new distributional record in Lakshadweep waters, Arabian Sea. During the routine exploration, five specimens of anemone were collected from the intertidal regions of Agatti Island, which were associated with a hermit crab, Pagurus bernhardus (Linnaeus, 1758). Morphological examination of a hermit crab anemone confirmed the species and the same were compared with the previous reports. Additionally, the study provides information about cnidae composition, internal anatomy, live images of the species and comparison with other closely related species.