British Indian Ocean Territory
The
British Indian
Ocean Territory comprises the islands of the Chagos Archipelago and is
currently considered by the United
Kingdom to be an overseas territory. Ownership is contested
with Mauritius
and recent judgements in favor of Mauritius' claim have come from the
International Court of Justice and the United Nations. It is part of
the
Maldives-Lakshadweep-Chagos Archipelago Tropical Moist Forests
ecoregion (EoE)
and part of the Northern Indian Ocean coral reef hotspot (Columbia
Univ. WM pdf). An overview of the
natural history of the territory is
provided at (JNCC
WM
pdf).
Marine fish unique to the territory include the Chagos
Dottyback Chlidichthys
chagosensis (FishBase),
the Rosyscaled Fairy Wrasse Cirrhilabrus
rubrisquamis (ZooKeys),
the Small Sandlance Ammodytoides
praematura (FishBase),
a
wormfish Paragunnellichthys
fehlmani (BHL), and a deep sea
anglerfish Sladenia
gardineri (BHL)
(IUCN).
Endemic insects include the St. Valentine's Day Moth Stictoptera hironsi
(PPDRDG),
the grass moths Sufetula
chagosalis (fig.
6 at BHL)
and Lamprosema
salomonalis (fig. 10 at BHL)
and Lamprosema chagosalis (fig. 9
at BHL),
a subspecies of the Meadow Argus Butterfly Junonia villida chagosensis
(BHL)
(iNaturalist),
a cricket Scottiola
chagosensis (fig. 10 at Internet
Archive) (OSF),
and a chalcid wasp Stibula
insularis (BHL).
The insects of Diego Garcia are described at (Smithsonian
pdf).
Isopod crustaceans described from the Chagos include Eurydice humilis (fig. A at BHL), Apanthura xenocheir (fig. B at BHL), and Gigantione rathbunae (fig. A at BHL). Endemic amphipod crustaceans include Elasmopus atollicus (GBIF), Quadrimaera frater (GBIF), and Latigammaropsis salomanensis (ResearchGate). Other crustaceans described from the Chagos include a crab Neolioxantho latifrons (figs. 1-2 at BHL) and a copepod Raptolaophonte ardua (Taylor & Francis pdf). Marine molluscs known only from the British Indian Ocean Territory include Nymph’s Cowrie Erronea nymphae (Eddie Hardy) and the margin shells Prunum chagosi (MNHN) (BHL) and Marginella henrikasi (Eddie Hardy). The Chagos Brain Coral Ctenella chagius (CHiP) is a near endemic.
Endemic marine algae include Struveopsis chagoensis (BHL) (GBIF).