AA WELL, Ettumanur, 1st

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

The first of two separate, man-made wells (sort of -water mines- excavated from unspecified host rock: laterite?), which are the home of a blind, hypogean catfish population (note 1) that represents one of the five stygobiotic fish species currently known from India (note 2). Compare the anonymous –>AA Well (Kottayam) and the Mysid (Crustacea: Mysidacea: Lepidomysis longipes Pillai & Mariamma 1963) inhabiting it. Not seen: MATEER, Samuel (1883); MENON, A G K (1950, 1951); MERCY, PADMANABHAN & PILLAI (1985); NATH & PILLAI (1972); NATH, THAMPY & PILLAI (1972); NATH (1973); PILLAI & MARIAMMA (1963). SITUATION 1982 (MERCY, PADMANABHAN & PILLAI 1982: 211): At Kottayam, Kerala, South India, Lat. 8°4' N and 10°21'N; Long. 76°13' E and 77°38' E (note 3).SITUATION 2007 (FERRARIS 2007: 152 after SUBHASH BABU & NAYER 2004): At one of two separate locations somewhere in the vicinity of Ettumanur (note 4) near N09°40': E076°34' (nima.mil/geonames accessed 16.11.2003) on AMS sheet NC43-2 Rajapalayam (U502 series, 1955edition) and in the India Road Atlas (Eicher Goodearth 2006: 118 B2 B3) at a travelling distance of 12 km along the road north-east from Kottayam town (N09°35': E076°31'), the district headquarters. CAVE LIFE: PILLAI & MARIAMMA (1963) describe the taxonomy of a blind, endogean Mysid (Crustacea: Mysidacea: Lepidomysis longipes) collected from an anonymous –>AA Well (Kottayam) at an unspecified location which possibly corresponds to one or another of the two the AA Well (Ettumanur). MERCY, PADMANABHAN & PILLAI (1982, abstract) procured totally blind fishes (2 to 4 cm long) from dug-out well somewhere at Kottayam … by draining the wells. Its ovaries were dissected out and fixed in Bouin's fluid. Serial sections were cut at 6 to 8 µm thickness and stained in Harry's haemotoxylin and counterstained with eosin. All in all, Horaglanis krishnai Menon is a blind clariid. A mature ovary of Horaglanis krishnai contains about 25-30 oocytes which are ready fr extrusion. The egs in the ripe stage are retained in the ovary for a fairly long time before extrusion. This indicates that conditions congenial for spawning and the development of the eggs are available in this environment only during a limited period and spawning occurs only when such favourable conditions are available. Though ripe oocytes are retained in the ovary for a pretty long time, the resorption of oocytes is not marked. This is a unique feature found in Horaglanis. According to FERRARIS (2007: 152, 538), it were SUBHASH BABU & NAYER (2004) who collected specimens (holotype ZSI F313/2)) of Horaglanis krishnai (Menon 1950: 64, pl. 1 figs. 1–3), from two separate locations in Kottayam (South-West India).2 Rajapalayam (U502 series, 1955edition) and in the India Road Atlas (Eicher Goodearth 2006: 118 B2 B3) at a travelling distance of 12 km along the road north-east from Kottayam town (N09°35': E076°31'), the district headquarters. CAVE LIFE: PILLAI & MARIAMMA (1963) describe the taxonomy of a blind, endogean Mysid (Crustacea: Mysidacea: Lepidomysis longipes) collected from an anonymous –>AA Well (Kottayam) at an unspecified location which possibly corresponds to one or another of the two the AA Well (Ettumanur). MERCY, PADMANABHAN & PILLAI (1982, abstract) procured totally blind fishes (2 to 4 cm long) from dug-out well somewhere at Kottayam … by draining the wells. Its ovaries were dissected out and fixed in Bouin's fluid. Serial sections were cut at 6 to 8 µm thickness and stained in Harry's haemotoxylin and counterstained with eosin. All in all, Horaglanis krishnai Menon is a blind clariid. A mature ovary of Horaglanis krishnai contains about 25-30 oocytes which are ready fr extrusion. The egs in the ripe stage are retained in the ovary for a fairly long time before extrusion. This indicates that conditions congenial for spawning and the development of the eggs are available in this environment only during a limited period and spawning occurs only when such favourable conditions are available. Though ripe oocytes are retained in the ovary for a pretty long time, the resorption of oocytes is not marked. This is a unique feature found in Horaglanis. According to FERRARIS (2007: 152, 538), it were SUBHASH BABU & NAYER (2004) who collected specimens (holotype ZSI F313/2)) of Horaglanis krishnai (Menon 1950: 64, pl. 1 figs. 1–3), from two separate locations in Kottayam (South-West India).