ON SOME NEW RECORDS OF TESTATE AMOEBAE (PROTOZOA: RHIZOPODA) FROM MEGHAMALAI WILDLIFE SANCTUARY, WESTERN GHATS, TAMIL NADU, INDIA
L. BINDU *
Marine Biology Regional Centre, Zoological Survey of India, 130, Santhome High Road, Chennai-600 028, India
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Testate amoebae are a group of unicellular free-living protozoa which are characterized by morphologically distinct shells ‘’(tests)’’ which play an important role in the natural ecosystems as bio-indicators. So far no study has been made in Meghamalai Wildlife Sanctuary of Tamil Nadu, part of Western Ghats, India and this study was done from the moss samples of the sanctuary. The study resulted the reports of 25 species of testate amoebae new to the sanctuary and the results also show that the testate diversity of India has increased by 4species.
Keywords: Protozoa, testate amoebae, Meghamalai wildlife sanctuary, Tamil Nadu, new records