Abundance and diversity of amphipod species associated with macro-algae at ras-mohamed, aqaba gulf, red sea, Egypt

Abstract

Amphipod community is considered one of the main and important invertebrate communities associated with macro-algae in intertidal zone. So, the present work aimed to study the seasonal abundance and diversity of amphipod species inhabited macro-algal hosts in Ras Mohamed protectorate. Samples and data of the present study were collected seasonally from three sites inside this protectorate. Results showed that twenty-three amphipod species associated with 15 macro-algal species (red, brown, and green algae) were recorded. The algal species fluctuated during different seasons. The highest abundance and diversity of amphipod species were recorded with species that associated with the red algae. Some amphipod species were found to have a high selection for their hosts. Also, the present study showed that some physical factors (such as type and shape of the place of living habitat, size of host plants patches, seasonality} and chemical factors (secondary metabolic chemicals) playing the main role in the evolution of the amphipod community by effecting on the abundance and diversity of amphipod species.