COMPARATIVE COMPOSITION, ABUNDANCE AND DOMINANCE OF MEIOFAUNA BETWEEN A MUDDY AND A SANDY SUBSTRATE IN SILUT BAY, CENTRAL PHILIPPINES

Abstract

The tropical meiofauna communities of a muddy and a sandy portion in Silut Bay, Liloan, Central Philippines were compared. The sandy substrate supports a more varied meiofauna community than the muddy substrate although faunal composition between the two substrate types differs only slightly. Ten meiofauna groups (Copepoda, Bivalvia, Nematoda, Gastrotricha, Ostracoda, Tardigrada, Polychaeta, Amphipoda, Kinorhyn-cha and Turbellaria) were observed in the sandy substrate. However of the 10 groups, polychaetes and tardigrades were not found in the muddy station at the time of sampling. The muddy substrate showed an abundance (2024/10 cm²) which is about 9 times higher than that in the sandy substrate (216/10 cm²). Nematoda and Copepoda were the most dominant taxonomic groups in the muddy and sandy substrates, respectively.