Seasonal variation of zooplankton of the Ashtamudi Lake, south-west coast of India

Abstract

The Ashtamudi Lake is a tropical backwater habitat, situated on the southwest coast of India with permanent connection with the Arabian Sea. Seasonal fluctuations in the hydrographical characteristics and the zooplankton of the lake were studied. The zooplankton is a combination of marine, brackishwater and freshwater inhabitants composed of coelenterates, annelids, arthropods, molluscs, chaetognaths and pisces. Their density showed considerable seasonal fluctuations with peak abundance during the monsoon and early post-monsoon periods