The species composition of benthic macrofauna in the present
observation shows the dominance of polychaete followed by molluscs
and crustaceans. Similar preponderance of polychaetes has been
observed earlier by Sankar G [29] in Muthupet lagoon, Sunil Kumar
[30] in Cochin backwaters, Prabha Devi L [31] in Coleroon estuary,
and Ansari ZA et al. [32] in Mandovi estuary. Athalye RP and Gokhale
KS [33] reported the dominance of polychaetes followed gastropods,
bivalves, and hermit crabs in the Thane creek, Mumbai. The benthic
population density shows seasonal variation in such a way that the
maximum is recorded in summer and the minimum during monsoon
at all the stations. The dominance of polychaetes might be due to
firm substrate provided by roots and dense canopy of the mangroves
which also provide protection against desiccation [34]. They have
more opportunistic bearing potential ability to colonize in stressed
environments [4]. The aforementioned adaptable nature of polychaetes
may be a plausible reason for their dominance in the species composition