Kadam Surendra S.1 & Tiwari Lalchand R.2
The present study has been carried out between September 2009 to August 2010 for the study of decpod crustacean diversity from Dandi creek,Maharashtra.Total five stations were selected for the collection of zooplankton(crustaceans) out of which 3 stations were in the creek and 2 stations were in offshore region. Decapod forms the second largest group in Dandi creek with their average percentage contribution to total zooplankton population. . At station1the population ranged between 5652 to 23928/100 mg3(av.13861.53/100mg3), at station 2 5637 to 40479/100mg3 (av.15582.6/100mg3),station 3 3659 to 30790 /100mg3 (av.17941.93/100mg3 ), station 4 5594 to 33721/100mg3 (av.15655.13 /100mg3) and station 5 3660 to 27400/100mg3 (av.12890/100mg3). During the present investigation total 24 species of planktonic decapod belongs to 18 genera and 13 families were encountered in the zooplankton collection . Brachyuran larvae extremely dominated over the other decapods suggesting the potential for a good crab fishery in Dandi creek. The second abundant group was segrestid followed by pennaeids, anomurans and carideans. Scyllaridae, Stenopidae and Thalassinidae were poorly reported during the present investigation. Due to growth of several industries, industrial discharge and developmental activities, construction activities in the recent years around Dandi creek area the health of this ecologically important estuarine ecosystem is under threat.
