PHYSIOCHEMICAL FACTORS AFFECTING MACROBENTHIC INVERTEBRATES DISRIBUTION In The BOTTOM SEDIMENTS Of OKHUO RIVER

Abstract

Nigerian benthos has been concentrated on the benthic fauna of urban and semi urban areas; consequently, the rural waters have been abandoned. The taxonomy of Nigerian streams is poorly known and this probably contributes to the reluctance to carry out researches in these areas. The macrobenthic invertebrates of a perturbed urban section of the Ikpoba River, showed that the stress caused by human activities affected species diversity and abundance on the benthic fauna of New Calabar River, in Cross River State. The study showed that the diversity of the fauna was low, with only 23 taxa recorded. The fauna was dominated by Annelid (Polychaete and Oligochaete) that constitutes 54% of the population. Investigation shows the effect of salinity and other physicochemical factors in abundance and distribution of littoral invertebrates in a coastal lagoon of southern examined flora and fauna associated with water hyacinth in Yewa River, in Ondo State. Studies of the benthic fauna associated with different microhabitats in mangrove forest of the Bonny Estuary, Niger Delta, Nigeria showed that the number of species associated with a particular habitat was similar but the community structure differed distinctly.

Key Words: Macrobenthic Invertebrates, Polychaete, Oligochaete, Environmental Impacts, Habitat