T. VEERAMANI, B. KAJA MAGDOOM AND N. YOGANANTH
Abstract
Benthic fauna of the sandy shores in study area comprised 17 Taxonomic groups, dominated by Nematodes (52%), Polycheares (6%), Bivalves (1%), Herpacticoid copepods (5%), Foraminiferans (20%), Benthic microflora (9%), Turbellarian (3%) and others (7%). The population density varied from one station to another 247 to 935 Nos./10 cm2, organic carbon content in the sediment ranges from 0.25 to 2.32 mg/g and total phosphorus in sediment 1.3 to 2.57 mg/g. Abundance of Benthos occurred in St.3 (Nematodes), the nematodes and polycheates genus Pisionidae are abundant in St.4. Current results showed that rich biodiversity of benthic fauna due to availability of food materials and favorable environmental conditions including the shoreline vegetation, physico-chemical factors and magnitude of organic pollution.