Author: K. NASIRA AND F. SHAHINA

Publishing Date: 2005

E-ISSN: 0255-7576

Volume 23 Issue 1

ABSTRACT:

An attempt was made to explore the free-living marine nematode fauna along the coastline of Pakistan. One hundred and eighteen species of free-living marine nematodes have been found in the coastal waters of Pakistan. Among those, pollution indicator species of the genera Sabatieria Rouville (1903),Anticoma Bastian (1865) and Microlaimus de Man (1880) have also been isolated from Arabian Sea. It was observed that 50 genera and 63 species belong to the order Chromadorida, 23 genera and 38 species of Monhysterida, 21 genera and 16 species to Enoplida, while Trefusiida was represented by only one genus and one species. This indicated that the order Chromadorida exhibits greatest diversity and Trefusiida the least in marine ecosystem studied.