Indian Journal of Geo Marine Sciences Vol. 46 (08), August 2017, pp. 1632-1640 Age and growth of fungiid corals of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India Tamal Mondal * & C. Raghunathan Zoological Survey of India, Andaman and Nicobar Regional Centre, National Coral Reef Research Institute, Haddo, Port Blair- 744 102, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India * [E-mail: t_genetics@yahoo.com] Received 25 February 2015 ; revised 16 November 2016 Two species of free-living and solitary corals such as Fungia paumotensis Stuchbury, 1833 and Fungia repanda Dana, 1846 under the family Fungiidae were examined inside in situ condition for 2 years to correlate and compare the age and growth relationship in Andaman Sea. Quarterly analysis of data revealed that, Fungia paumotensis showed higher growth rate {(0.323 ± 0.028 cm (mean ± SD)} while Fungia repanda showed lower growth rate {0.236 ± 0.045 cm (mean ± SD)}. Fungia paumotensis registered lower correlation co-efficient (R² = 0.422) with the age whilst Fungia repanda shown higher correlation co-efficient (R²= 0.857) with the age. The ratio of morphological attributes remained same during the course of aging for both the species. Mass of dry skeletal amplified exponentially with the length of the polyps for both the experimental species. Fungia paumotensis attained more skeletal mass than Fungia repanda during the size increment. Growth rings at the aboral sides of the coralla indicated a maximum age of 7 years i.e. post-tsunami recruitment of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. [Key words: Age and growth, fungiidae, scleractinian corals, Andaman and Nicobar Islands] Introduction Most of the scleractinian corals are restricted to tropical waters of the globe in its species content. Some of the scleractinians are adapted towards the temperate waters for their survival 1 . Growth rate of scleractinian coral species is the main component for reef formation. Larger corals have higher reproductive success and also have superior competitive advantage 2 . The pattern of coral growth is closely related to rate of calcification controlled by a number of factors such as light, temperature, feeding and the saturation state of the sea water. The calcium- carbonate saturation state is the ratio of the ion concentration product to the solubility product for the mineral deposited during a given time. Rate of chemical precipitation is proportional to calcium- carbonate saturation. Greater the concentration of ions, the greater is the formation of mineral 3 . The rate of growth pattern and sometimes depends on the growth of zooxanthallae by the animal host via nutrient limitation, which is known as a paradox 4-6 . Process of calcification in hard corals is a biogenic action firmly maintained via an organic matrix 7 , it is strongly affected by the energetic status of the coral. The activity is regulated both by the photosynthetic activity of the endo-symbionts and by the feeding command of the host 8, 9 . The presence of light and type of food availability has a species-dependent consequence on rate of calcification. Life of scleractinian corals starts from the settlement of planula larvae. Larval survival, recruitment of juveniles, growth of somatic, reproduction through sexual process and the mortality of scleractinians is variable in wide state from species to species which monitor the development of reefs through the way of succession 10, 11 . Some scleractinian corals follow r-strategy as they produce large number of propagules during the reproductive season of each year. The growths of those are very rapid and take pioneer role to settle recently formed space on reef 10, 12-14 . Other scleractinians follow k- strategy as they reproduce during a short period each year and the growth rate is slow. Though the corals take several years to make settlement of fresh substrata, the successful establishments are able to dominate the reef through the effective defense of living space 10, 15, 16 . Growth patterns of the corals are