Urodasys viviparus Wilke, 1954

Records from India. ANDHRA PRADESH: Visakhapatnam (Waltair)— Ganapati & Rao (1967), Rao & Ganapati (1968a); ODISHA (Orissa): Puri—Rao (1989); ANDAMAN & NICOBAR ISLANDS: Mayabandar—Rao (1975, 1980b); LAKSHASDWEEP: Agatti, Bangaram—Rao (1991); WEST BENGAL: Medinipur—Sanyal (2012); GENERAL RECORD—Rao (1972), Naidu & Rao (2004), Rao (2005).

Habitat (as in Indian records). Coarse sand with fine shell gravel and a little detritus in the intertidal zone near half tide level.

Distribution. Widespread species, recorded from numerous areas and localities outside the type locality (off Castel dell’Ovo, Naples, Italy); these include West and East Mediterranean Sea, North Europe, British Islands, Bermuda, USA (Atlantic and Gulf coasts of Florida), Caribbean Sea, Brazil, Red Sea, Maldives, Somalia (as U. cf viviparus) and India.

Remarks. The species has been found at different depths (from littoral to 33 m) and in sediments of various grain size in general rich in organic detritus. A recent phylogenetic analysis of the genus Urodasys based on a molecular genetic data found specimens of U. viviparus from geographic distant populations (e.g., Cayman islands and Brazil) clustering together, testifying to their common origin (Atherton & Hochberg 2015).