Flora and Fauna
The Lakshadweep Archipelago forms a terrestrial ecoregion together with the Maldives and the Chagos. It has over 600 species of marine fishes, 78 species of corals, 82 species of seaweed, 52 species of crabs, 2 species of lobsters, 48 species of gastropods, 12 species of bivalves, 101 species of birds. It is one of the four coral reef regions in India. The corals are a major attraction for the tourist. Pitti Island, is an important breeding place for sea turtles and for a number of pelagic birds such as the Brown Noddy (Anous stolidus), Lesser Crested Tern (Sterna bengalensis) and Greater Crested Tern (Sterna bergii). The island has been declared a bird sanctuary.
The region does not have a rich flora and almost all the plants can be found on the mainland of India. There is also an absence of forest in the region. Nearly 400 species of plants have been documented including Cymodocia isoetifolia, Syringodium isoetifolium, Thalassia hemprichii, Pandanus, Heliotropium foertherianum, Tournefortia argentea and Pemphis acidula other plant groups such as angiosperms, fungi, algae, lichens are also found. The common flora of the coral sands include coconut groves, the three species of sea grasses Pemphis acidula, Cordia subcordata, Scaevola taccada, Thespesia populnea, Suriana maritime, Dodonaea viscosa, Guettarda speciosa, seaweeds such as Enteromorpha, Ulva, Codium, Hypena.
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