Arthropod Community Structure of Jaja Creek and Downstream Sections of Imo River in Uta Ewa Village, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

Abstract

Arthropods are considered the most successful animals on earth. They are an essential part of the aquatic food chain and efficient bioindicators depicting the biotic community structure and water quality. This study aimed to generate baseline data on the arthropod community structure of Jaja Creek and downstream sections of Imo River in Uta Ewa village, Ikot-Abasi Local Government Area, Akwa-Ibom State, Nigeria. A variety of sampling techniques, including the scoop net method at low tides in the littoral zone, square lift net anchored on a paddling boat, sweep net, and locally made crab traps were adopted for the sampling of the arthropods. Fourty-six arthropod species were identified and classified into three classes: Arachnida, Crustaceans, and Insecta, with nine orders and twenty-six families. Sesarma alberti, Aratus pisonii, Sesarma elegans, Armases sp, Neosarmatium meinerti, Nematopalaemon sp, and Macrobrachium caledonicum were among the various arthropod species identified in this study. The class Crustaceans had the highest individual abundance of 135,809 (94.74%), followed by the class Insecta, which had a total numerical individual abundance of 7,339 (5.12%), and the order Arachnida (206; 0.14%). For the first time, members of the class Insecta and the families Sesarmidae, Pilumnidae, and Penaeidae (Penaeus sp.) were collected and identified in this portion of the Niger Delta Creek and Imo River. Given the importance of aquatic arthropod species to the catchment region and the country, a comprehensive conservation strategy should be developed to conserve and defend their survival.