Polyclad fauna of Agatti Island, Lakshadweep, India: New records and description of two new species

The present paper deals with the first study of polyclad fauna from Agatti Island, Lakshadweep. Through this study, Pseudobiceors apricus, Pseudobiceros hymanae and Pseudoceros bolool are recorded for the first time from Lakshadweep waters while Pseudoceros bicolor is recorded for the first time from Indian waters. Description of two new species, Pseudoceros agattiensis sp. nov. and Pseuodoceros stellans sp. nov. is also provided with good quality photographs of external and internal details. Pseudoceros agattiensis sp. nov. is characterized by a brown to black background colour, with minute white spots, marginal band thick and black with minute white spots present at very edge of the margin, three dorsal longitudinal white bands, out of which, two are laterally branched. Pseudoceros stellans sp. nov. displays a brown background colour with a black marginal band and completely covered with lighter microdots and a unique pattern of white dorsal blotches. This study adds to the knowledge of Indian polyclads, which are still an understudied group from Indian waters.