DIVERSITY, POPULATION AND SPATIO-TEMPORAL VARIATIONS IN THE BENTHIC INVERTEBRATES OF SASTHAMKOTTA LAKE IN SOUTHERN KERALA, INDIAMunisha Murali S. and S. SheebaAbstract Benthic invertebrates are widely used in the evaluation of environmental biomonitoring. The present investigation focused on the bottom-dwelling invertebrates from ten different stations of Sasthamkotta Lake during the period from January to December 2016. A total of eight species was observed. Six species belong to Order Diptera, one species each on Order Trichoptera and Order Tubificida. The order Diptera consists of Phaenopsectra sp., Sumatendipes tobaterdecimus, Procladius sp., Chaoborus asiaticus, family Chironomidae and family Ceratopogonidae. Order Trichoptera was the rare group including the species Ecnomus puntung. Pristina leidyi was the oligochate organism. Phaenopsectra sp. (97.927%) was abundant benthic invertebrate and the scarce organisms was Ecnomus puntung (0.005%). The highest diversity was recorded during postmonsoon period due to optimum nutrient conditions for their distribution after monsoon. Therefore the organism can be used as bioindicator to assess the health status of the ecosystem. |