Abstract:
A study on substrate preferences of meiobenthos and harpacticoid was carried out on three different type of substrates in open sandy sand (A), coral reef area (B), and dead-coral area (C) of Karah Island, Bidong Archipelago, Malaysia. The study consisted of two parts. Part 1 is to survey community structure of meiobenthos in different habitats and, Part 2 is to investigate substrate preferences of harpacticoid copepods and their responses toward laboratory-cultured copepods. Meiobenthos showed negative correlation with the vertical distance of the substrate in open area (r=-0.208<p=0.71). There was no significant correlation between meiobenthos and harpaticoid preference in coral and dead-coral area. Families of Canuellidae, Laophontidae, Thalestridae, Ectinosomatidae, and Ancorabolidae preferred to clone the lowest level while harpacticoid Type A, Diosaccidae, Miraciidae, Cletodidae prefer middle level. Peltidiidae, Harpacticoid Type C, and Harpacticoid Type Z were found predominantly at the upper level of azoic sediment with a vertical distance of 50 cm from the seafloor.
