Marine Benthic Amphipods (Amphipoda) of India: An Assessment on their Biodiversity, Distribution and Significance

The present article provides an updated checklist of marine benthic amphipods and their distribution along Indian coasts. The data for the distribution and diversity of marine benthic amphipods were collected from various published literature. The name of the species was validated from WoRMS and distributional information in Indian waters was verified from GBIF. 1961 to 1990 was the productive period during which maximum research articles were published. Among Indian coastal states, maximum research is done along Tamil Nadu coast followed by Kerala. Studies from other coastal states are sparse and limited to specific geographical points. The total number of marine benthic amphipod species in India is recorded as 230 belonging to three suborders, eight infraorders, 47 families and 125 genera. The east coast of India has a greater diversity of amphipod species compared to the west coast which is probably due to higher numbers of published literatures from the east coast. Senticaudata was identified as the most common suborder as it is dominant on both east and west coast. Species diversity was maximum in Tamil Nadu followed by Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha and Gujarat. Although amphipods play a crucial role in ecosystem functions and processes, information regarding the diversity and distribution of Indian marine benthic amphipods is meager and underexplored, necessitating an in-depth investigation.