SPECIES COMPOSITION AND HABITATS OF MACRO-BENTHIC CRUSTACEANS IN THE INTERTIDAL ZONES OF SUNDARBAN, WEST BENGAL, INDIA.

The macro-benthic crustacean diversity in the estuarine zones of Sundarban, West Bengal, India was studied for a period of six months (November, 2014 to April, 2015) in 21 sampling stations covering eastern, central and western zones of Sundarban. A total 20 species of crustaceans belonging to 3 orders, 9 families and 13 genera were recorded. The family Sesarmidae was dominated in number of taxa. The species recorded were Uca acuta, Uca rosea, Uca lactea, Uca triangularis, Uca dussumieri, Thalassina anomala, Dotilla intermedia, Dotilla blanfordi, Dotillopsis brevitarsis, Sesarma chiromantes, Sesarmops impressum, Perisesarma bidens, Episesarma mederi, Sesarmoides longipes, Parasesarma plicatum, Metaplax intermedia, Clibanarius padavensis, Scylla serrata, Balanus sp. and Squilla sp. Out of 20 species Balanus sp. was most abundant species followed by Uca acuta, Thalassina anomala and Uca rosea and the least abundant species were Dotilla intermedia, Sesarma chiromantes and Squilla sp. Species like Uca acuta, Dotilla intermedia, Sesarma chiromantes, Sesarmops impressum and Squilla sp. were found only in eastern zone. Major habitat of the species recorded was muddy substratum of littoral zone (42%). Other habitats include sandy substratum of littoral zone (5%), both muddy and sandy substrata of littoral zone (32%), hard substratum and populated by mangrove palm (5%), dead trees and stumps (5%) and mud flat (11%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]