Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Science1816-49271996-0751Academic Journals Inc.10.3923/jfas.2013.430.440ZulikhaN.Z. YusoffF.M. NishikawaJ. ArshadA. Matias-PeraltaH.M. 3201383The study was undertaken to determine zooplankton composition and abundance
along Perak River estuarine system during the Northeast (NE) monsoon. Monthly
samplings were conducted from November 2009 until February 2010. Four sampling
stations were selected along the salinity gradient covering stations from the
upstream down to 1 km off the coastal sea area. The zooplankton samples were
collected by vertical tows using conical plankton net (100 μm mesh size).
Throughout the monsoon season, a total of 11 higher taxa of zooplankton groups
were recognized, of which copepods were the dominant group comprising 96% (including
nauplii and copepodites) 95 and 99% of the total zooplankton abundance in the
marine, estuarine and upstream station, respectively. Seventeen species of copepods
from 10 genera were identified. Total zooplankton abundances recorded during
the sampling period were 45.5±18.9x103, 34.9±25.9x103
and 45.9±30.5x103 individual m-3 in the upstream,
estuarine and marine station, respectively. Multidimensional Scaling (MDS) analysis
based on zooplankton abundance revealed three distinct groups separating the
upstream from the estuarine and marine stations. Similarly, lower diversity
index was recorded in the estuarine station (H
= 2.04±0.28) compared to marine area (H
= 2.20±0.26), suggesting that less copepod species were tolerant to the
drastic changes of the estuarine environment. Low copepod densities were recorded
in the beginning of the monsoon season, but progressively increased with a peak
in the middle of the monsoon season. The results demonstrated that the Perak
estuary was a turbid environment with drastic changes in salinity levels due
to high inflow of freshwater during the monsoon season which affect the distribution
of the zooplankton populations.]]>Champalbert, G., M. Pagano, P. Sene and D. Corbin,200774381394Cloern, J.E.,1987713671381Day Jr. J.W., C. Hall, W.M. Kemp and A. Yanez-Arancibia,19891st Edn.,Pages: 558Pages: 558DOE,20102010Elliot, M. and D.S. McLusky,200255815827Froneman, P.W.,200460125132Jayasinghe, R.P.P.,20052005Kitamura, H., H. Ishitani, Y. Kuge and N. Nakamoto,198253542Matias-Peralta, H.,20102010Mishra, S. and R.C. Panigrahy,199928297301Nishikawa, J., N.T. Thu, F.M. Yusoff, D.J. Lindsay and Mulyadi et al.,200841401411Parsons, R.T., M. Yoshiaki and G.M. Lalli,19841st Edn.,Pages: 173Pages: 173Rezai, H., F.M. Yusoff, A. Arshad, A. Kawamura, S. Nishida and O.B.H. Ross,200443486497Rezai, H., F.M. Yusoff, A. Arshad and B.H.R. Othman,2005537157167Rezai, H., F.M. Yusoff, A. Arshad and B.H.R. Othman,200912264270Rundle, S.D., M.J. Attrill and A. Arshad,199832211216Waniek, J.J.,2003395782Wickstead, J.H.,195823340353Yoshida, T., T. Toda, F.M. Yusoff and B.H.R. Othman,200630320327Yusoff, F.M., J. Nishikawa and P. Kuppan,201018812Yusoff, F.M., M. Shariff and N. Gopinath,20069119135