Background/Objectives: Nematodes are considered as most dominant meiofaunal group in marine benthic habitats. They are an account on 70–90% in marine sediments, where they play fundamental ecological roles. Nematodes are particularly sensitive to changes in environmental parameters and thus useful in assessing the environmental disturbances.
Methods/Statistical analysis: Sediment were collected from Karaikkal coastal waters for a period of one year from July’ 2016 – June 2017 to collect the nematodes.
Findings: the present study was carried out the distribution and diversity of nematodes in Karaikkal coastal waters during July 2016 – June 2017. The total numbers of 31 nematodes species were recorded during the study period. All the species were recorded in summer and minimum of 16 species were found at monsoon. Among them, 7 species of nematodes were (Daptonema conicum, D. hirsutum, D. angulatum, Theristus sp. T. agillis, Vicosia sp. and Vicosia viscosia) dominated in all seasons.
Application/Improvements: They are involved in energy transfer through the ecosystem and are important link between primary producers and higher tropic levels in benthic systems. Even its contributions are very high in the aquatic environment and it is very limited works are available on distribution of marine nematode in Indian sub-continents.
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