Fauna associated with the marine macro alga Chaetomorpha aerea (Dillwyn) Kutzing, (Chlorophyceae) in Pulicat estuary, Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract

In the present study, an attempt was made to find out the animal associates of the seaweed Chaetomorpha aerea, at four sampling stations during the monsoon seasons in Pulicat estuary, India. A total of 5964 specimens were sorted and examined, twenty-one phytal fauna species were associated with the macroalga Chaetomorpha aerea. The data analysis showed that the phytal fauna in C. aerea mainly occupied by Gastropods followed by Amphipods, Decapods, Isopods and Polychaetes. The faunal composition of C. aerea ranged between 1.41 and 36.63%. The quantitative data indicated the dominant occurrence of Neritidae (62.47%) and Potamididae (9.94%), followed by Corophiidae (14.84%), Paguridae (3.31%) and Portunidae (0.97%) Cirolanidae (2.63%), Nereidae (2.26%) and Penaeidae (3.54%). The present study constitutes the first baseline approach to the Phytal fauna diversity of the seaweed C. aerea at the Pulicat Tamil Nadu, India.