Skip to content
Home
About Us
Resources
Profiles Metrics
Authors Directory
Institutions Directory
Top Authors
Top Institutions
Top Sponsors
AI Digest
Contact Us
Menu
Home
About Us
Resources
Profiles Metrics
Authors Directory
Institutions Directory
Top Authors
Top Institutions
Top Sponsors
AI Digest
Contact Us
Home
About Us
Resources
Profiles Metrics
Authors Directory
Institutions Directory
Top Authors
Top Institutions
Top Sponsors
AI Digest
Contact Us
Menu
Home
About Us
Resources
Profiles Metrics
Authors Directory
Institutions Directory
Top Authors
Top Institutions
Top Sponsors
AI Digest
Contact Us
Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
agricultural and biological sciences
Community structure and microhabitat preferences of harpacticoid copepods in a tropical reef lagoon (Zanzibar Island, Tanzania)
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, Volume 88, No. 4, Year 2008
Notification
URL copied to clipboard!
Description
Three microhabitat types (dead coral fragments, coral gravel and coral sand) were distinguished and sampled at two locations (Matemwe and Makunduchi) in a tropical lagoon (Zanzibar Island, Tanzania), and the community structure, habitat preferences and biodiversity of the associated harpacticoid copepod fauna was investigated. The harpacticoid fauna is affected by sediment granulometry and by the structural differences between coral and both gravel and sediment. The coral fragments contained a specific assemblage composed of typical 'phytal' taxa (Tisbe, Paradactylopodia and Dactylopusia) along with other eurytopic and sediment-dwelling forms (Ameira, Ectinosoma and Amphiascus), which may be attracted by the sediment retained between the coral branches. The assemblages of coral gravel and upper sediment layer did not differ significantly from each other and had mostly the same dominant genera. The sediment from Matemwe was dominated by the interstitial Paramesochridae and the sediment from Makunduchi by Tetragonicipitidae. The coral fragments from Makunduchi sustained a more diverse assemblage than gravel and the different sediment layers. It was assumed that coral form and complexity, with implications for habitable space, nutritional resources and level of predation, are important in structuring diversity of the associated assemblage. ©2008 Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom.
Authors & Co-Authors
Gheerardyn, Hendrik
Belgium, Ghent
Universiteit Gent
De Troch, Marleen
Belgium, Ghent
Universiteit Gent
Ndaro, Simon G.M.
Tanzania, Dar es Salaam
University of Dar es Salaam
Raes, Maarten
Belgium, Ghent
Universiteit Gent
Vincx, Magda M.
Belgium, Ghent
Universiteit Gent
Vanreusel, Ann
Belgium, Ghent
Universiteit Gent
Statistics
Citations: 24
Authors: 6
Affiliations: 2
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1017/S0025315408001331
ISSN:
00253154
e-ISSN:
14697769
Study Locations
Tanzania