Periphyton colonization in Cochin estuary

Abstract

Colonization of periphytic algae on 8 different substrata was studied for 1 month. For the first 2 weeks, the rate of colonization was exponential on all substrata and thereafter decreased significantly. Substrata like wood, glass and bivalve shell showed comparatively higher rate of periphyton colonization. Fortyseven species of algae recorded from different substrata consist mainly of pennate diatoms such as Navicula gracilis, Amphora angusta, Nitzschia closterium, Gyrosigma spenceri, G. scalproides and filamentous forms such as Mougeotia sp. of Chlorophyceae and Oscillatoria sp. of Cyanophyceae. No substratum specificity was noted among these algae.