Journal of Environmental Biology

Assessment of soft bottom polychaete diversity in Thondi, Palk bay, India

Author Details

R.M. Anbuchezhian

Centre of Advanced Study in Marine Biology, Annamalai University, Parangipettai - 608 502, India

S. Ravichandran

(Corresponding author)??????

Centre of Advanced Study in Marine Biology, Annamalai University, Parangipettai - 608 502, India

e-mail : sravicas@gmail.com

P. Murugesan

Centre of Advanced Study in Marine Biology, Annamalai University, Parangipettai - 608 502, India

J. Sesh Serebiah

Marine Studies and Coastal Resource Management, Madras Christian College, Chennai- 600059, India

Publication Data

Paper received:

14 January 2011

Revised received:

07 April 2011

Re-revised received:

26 April 2011

Accepted:

10 June 2011

Abstract

Polychaete assemblages are relatively poorly known in comparison to other components from Indian waters. In the present study, the spatial and seasonal distributions of polychaetes were investigated in the Thondi coastal area. Polychaete assemblage structure seems to be influenced by environmental parameters, such as temperature, salinity, pH, dissolved oxygen and total organic carbon. A total of 34 polychaete species were found, of which 26 species were in station I while 22 species in station II. There was a pronounced variation in diversity of polychaetes between the studied sites. Among the families maximum percentage of species constituted by Glyceridae (12%) and minimum Owenidae (4%) at station I and in station II, the Eunicidae (14%) was maximum and Pisinidae as (4 %) minimum. The population density varied from 1456 to 2456 no m^-2 in station I; 2120 to 4424 in station II and diversity index varied from 1.96 to 2.48 in station I; 2.01 to 2.53 in station II. Species richness varied from 1.21 to 1.65 in station I; 1.36 to 1.69 in station II and evenness index varied from 0.9 to 0.97 in station I; 0.91 to 0.98 in station II. BIO-ENV analysis showed that salinity, TOC and temperature as the key variables in influencing the faunal distribution.

Key words

Palk bay, Polychaete, Diversity indices, Environmental parameters??

Copyright ? 2012 Triveni Enterprises. All rights reserved. No part of the Journal can be reproduced in any form without prior permission. Responsibility regarding the authenticity of the data, and the acceptability of the conclusions enforced or derived, rest completely with the author(s).