The Living Foraminifera of Dummulapeta Creek East Coast of India

Dummulapeta Creek is a marginal marine environment near Kakinada, east coast of India. The foraminifera as well as seasonal variations in their abundance and distribution in the creek have been investigated in relation to different ecological factors like salinity, temperature, pH, and dissolved oxygen of waters in contact with the sediment, and texture and organic matter content of the sediments.

Fifty-six species of foraminifera have been identified from the creek. Of these, 33 species were never found in living condition in the creek. Of the remaining 23 species represented by living individuals, only QuinquelOculina seminulum, Ammonia beccarii, A. tepida, A. dentatus, and Miliammina fusca var. occur abundantly in the creek. These species seem to reproduce in the creek in December under relatively low temperature and salinity conditions.