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Biodiversity of meiofauna in the intertidal khe nhan mudflat, can gio mangrove forest, vietnam with special emphasis on free living nematodes

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Abstract

The ecological aspect of meiofaunal communities in Can Gio mangrove forest, Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam has not been investigated before. The composition, distribution, density and biodiversity of meiofaunal communities were studied along an intertidal transect at the Khe Nhan mudflat. Each time, three replicate samples were collected in four stations along a transect following the water line from low tide level up to the mangrove forest edge. In total, 18 meiofaunal taxa were found with the dominant taxa belonging to Nematoda, Copepoda, Sarcomastigophora and Polychaeta. The densities of meiofauna ranged from 1156 inds/10 cm2 to 2082 inds/10 cm2. The increase in densities from the mangrove forest edge towards the low water line was significant. Along the mudflat transect, the biodiversity (expressed by different indices) was relatively high at different taxonomic levels but did not vary significantly along the mudflat except for taxa richness. Eighty nematode genera belonging to 24 families with Comesomatidae having the highest abundance 33.8 % were found.Theristus andNeochromadora decreased in densities from the lower water line towards the mangrove forest edge, whileParacomesoma andHopperia are typical and more abundant at the middle of the mudflat.Halalaimus increased from high on the mudflat to the low water line.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Management and Technology, Institute of Tropical Biology, 85 Tran Quoc Toan, Q3, Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam

    Quang Ngo Xuan

  2. Biology Department, Marine Biology Section, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281 S8, B-9000, Ghent, Belgium

    Ann Vanreusel

  3. Department of Nematology, Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources, Vietnamese Academy of science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Cau Giay, Hanoi, Vietnam

    Nguyen Vu Thanh

  4. Postgraduate International Nematology Course, Vakgroep Biologie, Ledeganckstraat 35, B-9000, Gent, Belgium

    Nic Smol

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  1. Quang Ngo Xuan
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  2. Ann Vanreusel
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  3. Nguyen Vu Thanh
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  4. Nic Smol
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Correspondence to Nguyen Vu Thanh.

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Xuan, Q.N., Vanreusel, A., Thanh, N.V. et al. Biodiversity of meiofauna in the intertidal khe nhan mudflat, can gio mangrove forest, vietnam with special emphasis on free living nematodes. Ocean Sci. J. 42, 135–152 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03020918

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