Variations in benthic community structure in a sub-tropical estuary

A one year study was carried out to investigate the variations in benthic community structure along an environmental gradient of salinity and bottom substratum in a sub-tropical estuary in Hong Kong. The community was dominated by the gastropod Turritella terebra, and to a lesser extent, by the gastropod Murex trapa and the crab Portunus hastatoides. The total number of animals, biomass as well as the domanance of T. terebra in the community decreased, while species diversity increased along a gradient of increasing salinity and decreasing siltclay fraction of the sediment. Copyright © 1981 Springer-Verlag.