Animal-sediment relationship of the crustaceans and polychaetes in the intertidal zone around Mandvi, Gulf of Kachchh, Western India

Abstract

Animal-sediment relationships of two benthic communities (Crustaceans and Polychaetes) were studied around Mandvi coast in the Gulf of Kachchh, Western India. This coast consists of many micro-geomorphic landforms in which benthic communities are inhabited and select their niches and produce endemic biogenic structures. Five intertidal subfacies have been described and four types of grounds are identified, based on substrate consistency. 18 species of crustaceans, 15 species of polychaetes and unsegmented worm nemertea have been identified. Crustacean behavioural activities were observed in dunes, beaches and ridge-runnel in the form of burrowing, pellet making, feeding and crawling traces. Pelleted wall lining burrows of the suspension feeder stomatopodean species of Oratosquilla striata are also abundant in runnels. Motile, deposit feeder polychaetes are abundant on the ridges and are occasionally found on the lower reaches of the beaches, while suspension and filter feeders are found in the runnels. Lagoons consist of mainly grouped funnel branched burrows of Oniphus eremita which is identical to ichnogenus Balanoglossites. Nemertea, which are opportunistic algal grazers, have exploited restricted niches for dwelling-feeding purposes and constructed vertical burrow with pentamerous conical mound. The shore platform consists of cemented, calcareous tubes of filter feeder Serpula along with symbiotic encrusters like Ostrea and barnacles. Ichnocoenoses are discussed and three-dimensional ichno-sedimentologic models are reconstructed for Beach, Ridge, Runnel and Lagoon of the Mandvi intertidal zone.

Discontinuity surfaces and event stratigraphy of Okha Shell Limestone Member: Implications for Holocene sea level changes, western India

“…Another important element in this facies is the association of calcerous polychaete tubes in their growth position. Similar polychaete tubes were also reported from Mundra tidal flats (Patel and Desai 1998) and Mandvi intertidal zone (Patel and Desai 2009). Based on the types of disarticulation of shells and preserved orientation of bivalves and gastropods, a winnowing action along with low rate of sedimentation and delayed burial is envisaged for this facies.…”

Middle Devonian invertebrate trace fossils from the marginal marine carbonates of the Zachełmie tetrapod tracksite, Holy Cross Mountains, Poland

“…Kaźmierczak & Pszczółkowski (1969) suggested that Balanoglossites was produced by annelids and enteropneusts. Patel & Desai (2009) reported grouped funnel burrows similar to Balanoglossites from recent lagoonal sediments of the intertidal zone.…”

Ichnological analysis of the Pleistocene Dwarka Formation, Gulf of Kachchh: tracemaker behaviors and reworked traces

“…In recent intertidal zone in the Gulf of Kachchh, the Ophiomorpha constructing crustaceans often shows preferential burrowing location (Patel & Desai, 2009). It was observed on the Mandvi (GOK) intertidal zone that the juvenile crustaceans prefer to burrow near the low tide level as compared to adult who prefer to burrow near high tide level.…”