The present study deals with the study of some recent benthic ostracoda in the sediments collected from the Cauvery river estuary of Poombuhar. The sediment samples have been collected from 9 stations from the Cauvery river estuary of the study area. In the present study, 17 ostracod species belongs to 12 genera, 10 families, 3 super families and 2 sub orders. Spatial distribution of ostracoda of the study area reveals that the higher population is found only in the samples collected from the mouth of the estuary. Of the 17 ostracoda identified, the six species cytherelloidea leroyi, Paijenborchella sp, stigmatocythere indica, Keijella reticulata, Loxoconcha sp., and Phlyctenophora orientalis are considered to be wide spread and abundantly occurring species in the present study. Higher diversity and population of ostracod species are noticed in stations 8 and 9 because of their favourable niche. The substrate of present study area is seen to consist of silty-clay sand and clay sand. The most accommodative substrate for higher population is clay sand.
Ostracoda, Cauvery river estuary, environmental, ecological parameters
