Macroinvertebrates communities of a coastal lagoon in southern Benin, West Africa

Abstract

The macroinvertebrate, assemblage investigated were collected in eight seasonal samplings from July 2007 through June 2009. A total of 4,179 individual macroinvertebrates were gathered, comprising 182 taxa belonging to 25 orders and 114 families. The most predominant groups were Molluscs and Crustacean which make up 71.11% of the taxonomic richness observed. Annelids and Insects were the second most predominant. This restricted biodiversity is based on a limited number of species such as Tympanotonus fuscatus radula , Pachymelania aurita, Neritina glabrata, Corbula sp., Clibanarius spp., Grandidierella africana, Nereis sp. and Chironomus sp.. Site typology based on environmental parameters reveals five assemblages in which no significant difference exists. The community is controlled by a salinity gradient but is also probably affected by hydrologic factors and human economic activities. Keywords : Macroinvertebrates, communities, distribution, abundance, diversity, lagoon