Galatheoid squat lobsters (Crustacea: Decapoda: Anomura) from the epipelagic bottom of the Indian Exclusive Economic Zone, with descriptions of five new species.

Seven species of galatheoid crustaceans, including five new species, are reported from the southeastern Arabian Sea, southwestern Bay of Bengal, and western Andaman Sea, India, based on material collected from 56 to 113 m depths. Distinctions between the five new species (Galathea bharata sp. nov.

Description of a new species of an apseudomorph tanaidacean (Crustacea: Peracarida: Tanaidacea: Kalliapseudidae) from India.

N/A.

A new species of sponge crab of the genus Epigodromia McLay 1993 (Crustacea: Brachyura: Dromiidae) from the southeastern Arabian Sea, with notes on the Zoogeography.

A new dromiid crab, Epigodromia mclayi sp. nov., is described from the southeastern Arabian Sea and southwestern Bay of Bengal, India, based on 2 males collected onboard FORV Sagar Sampada cruises 392 and 236, respectively at depths of 107-113 m.

Two new species of the genus Galathea Fabricius, 1793 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Anomura: Galatheidae) from the Andaman Sea, India.

Two new species of the galatheid squat lobster genus Galathea Fabricius, 1793 are described from the Andaman Sea, India. Galathea nicobarica sp. nov.

A new species of Bathysphyraenops from the Indian Ocean with comments on the genus (Teleostei: Acropomatiformes: Howellidae).

A new species, Bathysphyraenops radhae, is described from the equatorial western Indian Ocean. It resembles Bathysphyraenops declivifrons in the shape of snout and number of pseudobranchial filaments in adults but can be readily distinguished from all known members of Howellidae by its characteristically armed preopercle and in strong reduction or absence of spinules on scales around the pectoral fin. The genus Bathysphyraenops is rediagnosed, and the characteristics useful in diagnosing the howellid genera are briefly discussed.

Paralomis White, 1856 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Anomura) from India, with morphological variability in Paralomis indica Alcock amp; Anderson, 1899.

Deep-water king crabs of the genus Paralomis White, 1856 collected during three cruises of the Fishery Oceanographic Research Vessel Sagar Sampada in the western Bay of Bengal (528777 m depths), one cruise in the eastern Bay of Bengal off Great Nicobar Island (337 m depth), and four cruises in the southeastern Arabian Sea (3151245 m) were identified. They are referred to Paralomis ceres Macpherson, 1989, recorded for the first time from Indian waters and P. indica Alcock Anderson, 1899, reported for the first time from the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea.

Two axiidean ghost shrimps (Crustacea: Decapoda) from India, Guyanacaris keralam sp. nov. (Axiidae) and Paragourretia galathea (K. Sakai, 2017) (Ctenochelidae).

Ghost shrimps collected from the Indian Exclusive Economic Zone by the Fishery Oceanographic Research Vessel Sagar Sampada during two cruises in the eastern (105 metres depth) and southeastern Arabian Sea (101 and 326 metres depth) were studied. One male, identified as Guyanacaris keralam sp. nov.

First records of two species of reef-associated mantis shrimps (Crustacea: Stomatopoda) from India.

The coastal marine environments in the Indian Exclusive Economic Zone harbour a rich diversity of mantis shrimps. However, several regions have not been adequately surveyed for their stomatopod faunal composition. In this paper, we report the first records of two species, Gonodactylopsis drepanophora (de Man, 1902) and Cloridina malaccensis (Manning, 1968) from Indian waters.

Biocompatibility of polyhydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate films generated from Bacillus cereus MCCB 281 for medical applications.

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are natural polyesters produced by microorganisms as a source of intracellular energy reserves. These polymers have been extensively studied for tissue engineering and drug delivery applications due to their desirable material properties. Solvent-cast film of poly (3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV), produced by Bacillus cereus MCCB 281 was characterized to study the surface morphology, roughness, thermal and mechanical properties.

Description of a new species of deep-water king-crab (Crustacea: Decapoda: Anomura) from the southeastern Arabian Sea.

A new species of the deep-water king-crab genus Neolithodes A. Milne-Edwards Bouvier, 1894 (Anomura: Lithodidae) is described herein from the southeastern Arabian Sea (1064-1338 m depth). Neolithodes indicus sp.

Description of a new species of deep-sea spider crab from the genus Crocydocinus Lee, Richer de Forges amp; Ng, 2019, from the south-eastern Arabian Sea (Crustacea: Decapoda: Majoidea: Epialtidae).

A new species of spider crab is described from two male specimens collected from the southeastern Arabian Sea. This species differs from its congeners in the absence of uograstric granule on carapace, the presence of two granules along lateral margin of carapace at branchial region, the presence of granules on P2-P4 dactyli and the constricted distal tip of the male first gonopod.

Biosynthesis and characterization of polyhydroxyalkanoate from marine Bacillus cereus MCCB 281 utilizing glycerol as carbon source.

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are aliphatic polyesters produced by bacteria from renewable resources which serve as a substitute of synthetic plastics. In the present study isolation, screening, identification of PHA producing bacteria from marine water samples and optimization of process variables for increased PHA production were accomplished. The potent isolate identified as Bacillus cereus MCCB 281 synthesized PHA co-polymer with 13 mol% 3-hydroxyvalerate in presence of glycerol.

Production and characterization of polyhydroxybutyrate from Vibrio harveyi MCCB 284 utilizing glycerol as carbon source.

Aims: Production and characterization of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) from moderately halophilic bacterium Vibrio harveyi MCCB 284 isolated from tunicate Phallusia nigra.

Methods And Results: Twenty-five bacterial isolates were obtained from tunicate samples and three among them exhibited an orange fluorescence in Nile red staining indicating the presence of PHB. One of the isolates, MCCB 284, which showed rapid growth and good polymer yield, was identified as V.

DNA sequence information resolves taxonomic ambiguity of the common mud crab species (Genus Scylla) in Indian waters.

For several years, mud crabs of genus Scylla have been misidentified owing to their high morphological plasticity and the absence of distinct morphological diagnostic characters. The taxonomic confusion of genus Scylla de Haan is considered to be a primary constraint to the development of aquaculture. Although genus Scylla was revised using morphological and genetic characteristics, taxonomy of Scylla species occurring in India is still not clear.

Molecular Characterisation and Phylogenetic Analysis of a Novel Isoform of Hepatic Antimicrobial Peptide, Hepcidin (Zc-hepc1), from the Coral Fish Moorish idol, Zanclus cornutus (Linnaeus, 1758).

Hepcidin is a family of short cysteine-rich antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) participating in various physiological functions with inevitable role in host immune responses. Present study deals with identification and characterisation of a novel hepcidin isoform from coral fish Zanclus cornutus. The 81 amino acid (aa) preprohepcidin obtained from Z.