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Abstract

This report is a history of copepodology based on the review of previously recorded species of copepods from Pakistan (Arabian Sea) by Pakistani workers and other contemporary surveys. The plankton samples studied are the epipelagic copepods collected during the Northern Arabian Sea Ecological and Environmental Research (NASEER) Cruise I (January 7-22, 1992) and Cruise IV (May 10-21, 1994). Some planktonic and phytal species obtained from a U.S. Office of Naval Research (ONR) project (1993-1995) on living resources in nearshore waters, and interstitial species obtained during a preliminary survey ONR (1998-2000) of the interstitial copepods carried out for the first time in Karachi intertidal regions (Bulleji and Sandspit) are also included. Almost all the major copepod groups are represented in the above mentioned collections. In all 61 genera and 109 species have been reported. Out of these, 27 genera and 39 species have been collected from NASEER Cruises, some of them already reported (see Kazmi and Muniza, 1997-98) in the checklist only the species from stations located on Pakistan shelf are included. Acartia hamata Mori, 1937, Porcellidium viride (Philippi, 1890), Laophonte cornuta Philippi 1890 and Copilia mirabilis Dana, 1852 are recorded for the first time from the northern Arabian Sea. Abundance of species at all NASEER stations is also calculated. One phytal species Porcellidium viride (Philippi, 1840) is also a new record. The first investigation revealed that at least adults, subadults and larval stages of 12 families and 15 species are present in the interstitial copepod fauna. An attempt has been made to relate the diversity of species to the nature of the sand grains at Sandspit site.

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