Short Communication: First Indian records and range expansion of three epitoniid gastropods in the Gulf of Mannar, India

Abstract

Abstract. Kumar RR, Ardovini R, Venkatraman C, Pakchirajan P, Rajappa B. 2026. Short Communication: First Indian records and range expansion of three epitoniid gastropods in the Gulf of Mannar, India. Indo Pac J Ocean Life 10 (1): o100101. https://doi.org/10.13057/oceanlife/o100101. The Gulf of Mannar, located along the southeast coast of India, is recognized as a global biodiversity hotspot, yet several molluscan groups remain poorly documented. By documenting their occurrence, this study provides evidence of range expansion and contributes to understanding the biogeographical patterns of the family in the Indo-Pacific region. This study reports the first confirmed Indian records of three epitoniid gastropods: Epitonium angustum and Epitonium zatrephes, and the first distributional record of Epidendrium aureum from the Gulf of Mannar thereby extending their known distributional ranges into the northern Indian Ocean. A key aspect of this study was the careful examination and comparison of morphological characters, including shell sculpture, coloration, and protoconch features, which were carefully examined and compared with authoritative taxonomic descriptions for accurate species identification. These new records provide essential baseline data for further investigations on taxonomy, systematics, and ecological interactions of Epitoniidae in Indian waters. Considering the ecological roles of epitoniids as specialized ectoparasites of sea anemones, their presence may also have implications for understanding trophic relationships in coral reef ecosystems.