Table Of ContentWETLAND ECOSYSTEM SERIES 1
FAUNA OF CHILKA LA E
ZOOLOGICAL SURVEY
OF INDIA
ZOOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA
,
1995
WETLAND ECOSYSTEM SERIES 1
FAUNA OF CHILKA LAKE
Edited by
The Director
Zoological Survey of India
Calcutta
ZOOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA
1995
Copyright, Government of India, 1995
Published: November, ) 995
Project Co-ordinator
Dr. Kaza V. Rama Rao, Scientist 'SF'
Z.S.I., Hyderabad
Price
Inland Rs.600.00
Foreign £ 60.00
$ 40.00
Printed at' PRESTECH. 39 Mahatma Gandhi Road, Calcutta - 82 and
Published by the Director. Zoological Survey of India, Calcutta
FOREWORD
The Chilka Lake in Orissa is the largest coastal Lake in the country and is well
known as an wetland of international importance. The Chilka Lake has been studied by
the scientists of Zoological Survey of India during the second decade of the century and
the reports published in the Memoirs of Indian Museum between 1915-1924 amply focussed
on the rich faunal diversity of this ecosystem. It is reported that more than hundred thousands
people are dependant on this wetland and as such the system may also be considered as
one of the best example of wise use.
The Zoological Survey of India after an interval of 60 years since the last report
of Chilka was published initiated an extensive survey on Chilka Lake for a period of 3
years from 1985-1987. The present volume contained the findings of the investigation and
one can compare the faunal resources recorded at an interval of 60 years. In most of the
cases the document reveals biodiversity at species level still appears very rich, even though
the physico-chemical and limnological characteristics have significantly changed between
1925 to 1985.
It is expected that the present document will be of use to the Management Authority
of this internationally recognised RAMSAR site and also to the researchers and students
engaged in the area of study on wetland bio-diversity and associated fields. I would like
to put on records my sincere thanks to the team leader, Dr. K. V Rama Rao and all
the contributors of this volume. I would also like to extend my thanks to my colleague,
Dr. J. R. B. Alfred, Additional Director and to Mr. G. Sivagurunathan, former Publication
Production Officer and to the staff of Publication division for taking all efforts to bring
out the volume in the present form.
NOVEMBER, 1995 DR. A. K. GHOSH
DIRECTOR
FAUNA OF CHILKA LAKE
1995
CONTENTS
APPRAISAL
- Kaza V. Raina Rao
LIMNOLOGY
- S. Z. Siddiqi and Kaza V. Raina Rao II
PROTOZOA
- A. K. Das 137
PORIFERA
- J. G. Pattanayak 211
ANTHOZOA: COELENTERATA
227
- A. Misra
TREMATODA DIGENEA
- I. B. Dutta 235
NEMATODA
279
- S. R. Dey Sarkar
ANNELIDA: POL YCHAET A
319
- C. A. Nages~t!ara Rao
CRUSTACEA: STOMATOPODA
337
- H. C. Ghosh
CRUSTACEA:BRACHYURA
345
- Maya Deb
CRUSTACEA:DECAPODA
367
- K. Narapu Reddy
MOLLUSCA
391
N. V. Subba Rao, K. V. Surya Rao & R. N. Manna
SIPUNCULA AND ECHIURA
- Badri Prasad Haldar .......... 469
ECHINODERMA TA
- D. R. K. Sastl)' .......... 477
PROTOCHORDATA
.......... 479.
- P. Dhalldapani
PISCES
- Kaza V. Rania Rao .......... 483
REPTILIA AND AMPHIBIA
T. S. N. Murthy .......... 507
AVES
S. Chattopadhyay .......... 561
MAMMALIA
- Subhelldu Sekhar Saha .......... 601
MAMMALIA: RIVER DOLPHIN
- P. Dhalldapalli .......... 611
PHYTO AND ZOOPLANKTON
- M. Srillivasall .......... 615
ZOOPLANKTON
- M. Sri,,;vasan and Ciz. Saf)'allarayalla 631
•••• e •••••
ZOOPLANKTON: In relation to Phytoplankton
- Ch. Satyallarayalla and M. Srillivasan .......... 649
MEROPLANKTON
- P. Dhalldapan; .......... 655
Zoo I. Surv. India
Wetland Ecosystem Series 1 : Fauna ofChilka Lake: I -10, 1995
APPRAISAL
*
Kaza V. Rama Rao
Zoological Survey of India, Berhampur - 760 005
The First faunistic study on Chilka Lake, located along the east -coast of India between latitudes
19°28' and 19°54' N and longitudes 85°06' and 85°35' E was initiated by the Zoological Survey of India
and the results of these studies have been published in a series of papers from 1915 to 1924 mainly in the
volume V of the Memoirs of the Indian Museum. After this study, very little work on the faunal aspects
were carried out except a few on the crustaceans and fishes. The Estuarine Biological Station of the
Zoological SurveyofIndia has taken up the resurvey of the Chilka Lake through the multidisciplinary team
drawn from various research and academic institutions from 1985 to 1987 and the studies were carried out
starting from limnology ~o faunal account from protozoa to mammals. The available information on the
fauna of different groups of Chilka Lake is given here group-wise. The present systamatic status of each
group based on the expedition material is dealt in detail in the main text of the fauna of the Chilka Lake.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
,
I am thankful to the fonner Directors Late Dr. B.K. Tikader, Dr.M.S. Jairajpuri, Dr.B.S.Lamba, Dr.Asket
Singh, the fonner Jt. Directors and Dr. S.K. Bhattacharya, the former Additional Director for extending
the facilities. I am also thankful to Dr. A.K.Ghosh, Director who has taken keen interest in the Chilka Lake
Expedition 1985-87. Thanks are also due to officers and staff of Estuarine Biological Station, Zoological
Survey of India, Berhampur as well as to the participants and collaborating agencies Headquarters,
Zoological Survey of India, Calcutta, 14reshwater Biological Station, Zoological Survey of India,
Hyderabad, Marine Biological Station, Zoological Survey of India, Madras, Southern Regional Station,
Zoological survey of India, Madras, Atomic Minerals Division, Berhampur (Gm), College of Fisheries,
Orissa University of Agriculture & Technology, Berhampur(Gm), Biological & Technological Research
Station, Orissa State Fisheries, Balugaon (Puri Dist.), The Marine Products Export Development.
Authority, Bhubaneswar, Orissa, Remote Sensing Application Centre, Bhubaneswar and Department of
Zoology, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam.
I am particularly grateful to Sri Ratnakar Sabat (Motor Driver) and Sri PJana (Laboratory Attendent) of
the Estuarine Biological Station, Zoological Survey of India, Berhampur (Gm) for their constant support
throughout the Expedition.
MATERIAL & METHODS
A total of 219 stations have been established (45 during the First Chilka Lake Expedition 20-11-1985 to
22-11-1985, 74 duril)g tbe Second ChilkaLake Expedition 10-6-1986 to 30-6-1986, 100 during the Third
*
Freshwater Biological Station~ Zoological Survey of India. 1-1-300/8, Ashoknagar, Hyderabad-500 020.
2 Wetland Ecosystem Series 1 : Fauna ofChilka Lake
Chilka Lake Expedition 3-9-1987 to 27-9-1987) corresponding to post-monsoon (Winter), pre-monsoon
(late summer) and monsoon seasons. At each station, physico-chemical parameters (surface & bottom
waters), biological data pertaining to plankton (Phyto & Zoo), nekton and benthos, and soil sa~ples were
collected. The data thus collected have been analysed for faunistic as well as limnological studies and the
contributions resulted are Presented chapterwise.
HISTORICAL REStTh1E
PROTOZOA: Annandale (1915) mentioned the presence of several fixed and free protozoa on
a submerged timber in Chilka Lake along with a coelenterata. Annandale and Kemp (1915) reported
Trichodina from the external surface of ctenophores. Chilton (1921) observed vorticellid protozoa on a
weed from Chilka Lake.
PORIFERA: Annandale (1915) reported 7 species of sponges of which 2 are freshwater and the
remaining of marine waters. Sewell and Annandale (1922) reported 3 species of sponges from Rambha
bay.
COELENTERATA : 9 species of hydrozoa, 1 species of scyphozoa and 6 species ofa nthozoa
were reponed by Annandale (1915). H"amid (1931 )reported Virgularia gracillima (Kolliker). Matthai
( 1924) reponed a subfossil coral fropt the Lake. Carl green ( 1925) reponed on the status of actiniaria lake
of Chilka Lake.
CTENOPHORA, POL YZOA, ECHIURA, SIPUNCULA, BRYOZOA AND CHAE
TOGNAT HA: Annandale and Kemp (1915) reponed a single species of ctenophora and echiura. Haldar
( 1985) reported 2 species of echiuroids. Annandale ( 1915) recorded 2 species of bryozoa (ectoprocta) and
1 species of entoprocta. sewell and Annandale (1922) reported on the polyzoa occurring in Rambha bay.
Devasundaram and Roy (1954) recorded Sagitta Sp. from Chilka.
PLATYHELMINTHES: Tripathy (1956,1959 and 1977) reported a good account on the
monogenean trematodes of the Lake. Chatterjee (1958), Gupta and Ahmed (1976) and Hafezullah (1984)
contributed information on the digenetic trematodes of the fishes of the Lake. Southwell (1915, 1921, 1922
and 19 22a) reported on the cestodes occurring in the birds and fishes of the Lake.
ANNELIDA: Southern ( 1921 ) reported 20 species of polychaetes of which 19 were new species.
Fauvel (1932 and 1953) reporteed 23 species of polychaetes from the Lake. A detailed account on the
littoral oligochaeta of the Lake was studied by Stephenson ( 1914). Stephenson ( 1915 and 1917) described
4 species of oligochates from the Lake. Harding (1920) reported 3 species of leeches from the Lake.
Kuburaki (1921 )feported five species of leeches from the Lake.
CRUSTACEA: Annandale (1915) reported on cirripedia while Chilton (1916, 1921 and 1924)
dealt on isopoda amphipoda and tanaidacea of the Lake. Kemp () 915, ) 9) 5a and 1916) extensively studied
the stomatopada, decapoda and cumacean fauna. Henderson ( 1915) recorded hermit crabs from the Lake.
Copepoda was dealt by Sewell (1919 and 1924). Tattersall (1995) reported on the fauna of mysidaceae.
Sewell and Annandale (1922) reported on the Crustacean fauna of the Rambha bay. Subramanyam (1966)
reported some prawns as new records from the Lake.
RAMA RAO : Appraisal 3
INSECTA : Annandale and kemp (1915) reported on the aquatic insect fauna other than the
coleoptera. Laidlaw (1915) gave an account on the odonata of the Lake. Annandale and Dover (1921 and
1921 a) reported on the cicindelid beetels and butterflies. Andrewes (1921) gave an account on the carabid
beetles of the Barkuda island. Dover (1921, 1921 a, 1921 band 1921 c) reported on the fauna of moths,
wasps and bees, dipteran insects and neuropterid insects of the Barkuda island. Fraser and Dover
(1922)recorded 30 species of dragonflies and damselflies from the Barkuda island of the Chilka Lake~
Sewell and Annandale (1922) reported on the insect fauna of the Rambha bay. Blair (1922) reported on
the heteromera ofBarkuda island. Arrow ( 1923) reported on certain coleoptera of Barkuda island. Sil vestri
(1923)reported termites of Barkuda island and Annandale (1923) reported on their habits.
ARACHNIDA: Gravely (1921) described the spider and scorpion fauna of the Barkuda island.
MOLLUSCA : Preston (1914 and 1915) gave an extensine account on the molluscan fauna of
the ChilkaLake. Annandale and Kemp (1916) reported on the gastropoda and lamellibranchiata of the
Lake. Eliot (1916) reported on the nudibranchiata. Sewell and Annandale (1922) reported 20 species of
mollusca fromthe Rambha bay. Hornell (1917) gave a revisionary account of the geRus Meretrix from the
Lake. Godwin-Austen (1917) reported on the molusca collected from the Barkuda island. Annandale
( 1921) reported on the moll usca collected fom the Gopakuda island of the ChilkaLake. Annandale ( 1924)
gave a further account on the gastropoda of the Chilka Lake. Prashad (1939) reported 2 species of molluscs.
PISCES: Chaudhuri (1916", 1916a,.l916b) 1917 and 1923)reportedon the fish faunaoftheChilka
Lake. Hora (1923) reprted on the fish fauna of the Lake. They recorded 118 species from the Lake.
Koumans (1941) reported 1 species of gobid from the Lake. Mitra( 1946) recorded 7 species of fishes of
commercial importance. Jones and Sujansinghani (1954) gave a list of fishes of which 25 were reported
as new records from the Lake. Roy and Sahoo( 1957) recorded 14 species as new additions to the fish fauna
of the Lake. Menon (1961) listed 72 species of fishes, of which 17 species were new records.
Devasundaram (1954) listed 68 species of fishes of which 40 species were found to be commonly
occurning forms. Rajan, Patnaik and Basu (1968) recorded 47 additional species of fishes new to the Chilka
Lake.
AMPHIBIA AND REPTILIA: Annandale (1907) reported the occurrence of7 species of reptiles
and a single species of amphibian from Gopakuda island in the Lake. Annandale (1915) recorded a single
species of frog, 3 species of snakes, 2 species of crocodiles and 3 species of turtles from the Chilka Lake.
Annandale (19] 7) reported on a new limbless skink from the Barkuda island. Annandale (1921) recorded
2 species of amphi bians and 18 $pecies of reptiles from the Barkuda island.
AVES: An account of 53 species of birds observed on the Barkuda island was reported by
Annandale (1921). Recently Hussain, Mahapatra and Sahid Ali (1984) reported on the avifauna of the
Chilka Lake and listed 150 species of birds.
MAMMALIA: Annandale (1915) recorded 2 species of mammals (an otter & a cetacean) from
theChiJkaLake. Annandale (192]) reported a species ofinsectivoraofthe genus Pachyura, a rodent Rattlls
rattus and the common bat,the Indian flying fox. Hinton and Lindsay (1926) gave an account on 9 species
of mammals collected from Chilka Lake by H.W.Wells.
4 Wetland Ecosystem Series 1 : Fauna of Chillea Lake
LITERAT URE CITED
(arranged groupwise/yearwise)
PROTOZOA
Annandale, N. 1915. Fauna of the Chilka Lake: The Coelenterates with an account of the Actiniaria of
brackishwater in Gangetic Delta Mem. Indian Mus. 5 (1): 65-114
Annandale, N. and Kemp, S. 1915. FaunaoftheChilkaLake: CtenophoraMem. IlldianMus. 5 (1): 115-
118
Chilton, C. 1921. Fauna of the Chilka Lake: Amphipoda Menl. Indian Mus. 5 (8): 519-558
PORIFERA
Annandale, N. 1915. Fauna of the Chilka Lake: Sponges Menl. Indian Mus. 5 (1): 721-754
Sewell, R. B. S. and Annandale, N. 1922. Fauna of the Chilka Lake: The hydrography and invertebrate
fauna of Rambha bay in an abnormal year Mem. Indian Mus. 5 (10): 677-710
COELENTERATA
Annandale, N. 1915. Fauna of the Chilka Lake: The Coelenterates of the Lake with an account of the
Actiniaria of brackish water in the Gangetic Delta Mem. Indiai! Mus. 5 (1): 65-114
Matthai, G. 1924. Fauna of the Chilka Lake: On a species ofs ub-fossil solitary coral from the Chilka Lake
Menlo Indian Mus. 5 (13): 897-903.
Carlgren, 0.1925. A revision of the Actiniaria ofChilka Lake Ark. Zoo I. 17a (21): 1-21
Hamid, A. 1931. On Virgularia gracillima (Kollikcr) from the Chilka Lake Rec. Indian Mus. 33 (4):
483-487
CTENOPHORA, POLYZOA, ECHIURA, SIPUNCULA, BRYOZOA AND CHAETOGNATHA
Annandale, N. and S. Kemp. 1915. Fauna of the Chilka Lake: Ctenophora Menlo Indian Mus. 5 (1): 15-
118
Annandale, N. 1915. Fauna of the Chilka Lake: The polyzoa of the Lake and of brackishwater in the
Gangetic Delta. Menl. India" Mus. 5 (I): 119-134
Annandale, N. and S. Kemp. 1915. Fauna of the Chilka Lake: The Echiuroidea of the Lake and of the
Gangetic Delta Menl. Indian Mus. 5 (I): 55-64
Sewell, R.B.S. and N. Annandale. 1922. Fauna of the Chilka Lake: The hydrography and.invertebrate
fauna of Rambha bay in an abnormal year Menl. Indian Mus. 5 (10): 677-710
