The Distribution of Deep-water Scleractinean Corals in the Indian Ocean and Its Similarities and Differences with that Found in the Pacific Ocean

Abstract

The aim of this article is to clarify the particular distribution of deep-water Indian Ocean colonies of scleractinean corals with respect to the location of the belts of the global oceanic conveyer. This study is based on the author’s own and others’ publications on the fauna of Indian Ocean corals, and ranks the stations where these organisms have been found by depth. It has been determined that a maximum of finds was obtained at a depth of 1–2 km, with the amount declining sharply at lower depths, and that the amount increases once more at a depth of 4–5 km. However, at the lower depths scelactinean corals are represented by just 3 species belonging to 2 genera. An asymmetry in spatial distribution Scleractinian in the depth more then 3 km was established, with a far greater number of stations in the western part of the ocean than in the east. This phenomenon is likely linked to the idiosyncracies of the circulation of both contemporary and neogen water. A comparison of the fauna of the Indian Ocean’s scleractinian corals of the depths 1–2 km with those of the Pacific, which have already been studied, shows that the Pacific features the most species quantity, with 109 species, while that of the Indian Oceans is with 18 species, respectively.