A New Record of Soft Coral, Lobophytum varium Tixier-Durivault, 1970 (Sarcophytidae: Malacalcyonacea) from the Andaman Islands, India

Soft corals are sessile marine benthic organisms that belong to the subclass Octocorallia of the class Anthozoa and play a significant role in the coral reef ecosystem. A recent marine faunal survey revealed the distribution of Lobophytum varium Tixier-Durivault, 1970 is reported here as a new record for India. The species is distinguished from congeneric species by the skeletal component structures of the colony’s surface layer, which have clubs and rod-shaped sclerites, and the interior regions contain cylindrical, spindle, oblong-shaped, irregular-shaped, and slender capstan-shaped sclerites. This paper provides a detailed descriptions of colony morphology and sclerite and their illustrations.