Author(s):

Farah Naz, Naureen Aziz Qureshi, Noor Us Saher

Abstract: Temporal variations in the mesozooplankton species composition, inhibiting the mangrove creek areas near the Karachi coast, Pakistan were observed during January 1998 to December 1999. The mesozooplankton community typically composed of twenty eight groups, of which copepod, formed the dominant group especially the genus Acrocalanus and Paracalanus, two speciesof Temora discaudata, and T. turbinita, three species of Centrophages dorsispinatus, C. furcatus, C. orsinii, Acartia amboinensis, Oithona plumifera, Labidocera acuta, Oncaea, Eucalanus, Corycaeus, Scottolana and Pleuromamma. Three species of Chaetognatha were also found in Sagitta enflata, Sagitta hexapter and Sagitta Kroni. The cladocerans: Penilia avirostris and Evadne tergestina, in addition to the appendicularians: Oikopleura longicauda and O. dioica. Over all Copepods, Gastropods, Cypris larvae of banicles, Nauplii, Evadne, Zoea, Cradiean shrimp accounted for more than 92.53% of community biomass.

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