Polychaete community structure of Vasishta Godavari estuary, east coast of India

Abstract

The community structure of polychaete fauna from the Vasishta Godavari estuary was analyzed in this study. The data presented in this paper were collected during 1976 - 78 and published in 1983, and now re-analysed using PRIMER 6.1, CANOCO 4.5. The polychaetes were collected from a 16 km stretch of the lower Vasishta Godavari estuary (16o18’N lat., 81o42’E long.) during flood, summer and recovery seasons at 6 permanent stations. Altogether 216 sediment samples were analysed and 73 polychaete taxa were identified. Polychaete diversity was higher (Shannon-Wiener H’: 1.94±0.28) in samples from recovery season relative to summer season (H’: 1.54±0.44) and flood season (H’: 1.44±0.024). Using multivariate statistical techniques two polychaete associations could be recognised from the Vasishta Godavari estuary, namely Heteromastus similis, Nephthys oligobranchia and Indonereis gopalai assemblage Group 1 (samples from recovery and summer season) and Group 2 (samples from flood season). Group 2 did not reveal any particular species from flood season samples. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) showed that sand, salinity, clay and temperature have influenced the polychaete distribution. This study therefore provides key information on the biodiversity of polychaete communities of the Vasishta Godavari estuary.