Ecology and distribution of ostracods in Kuwait Bay

Abstract. Few ostracods live in the central part of Kuwait Bay due to the effect of ebb and flow currents in the central channel. The number increases gradually towards the nearshore areas and then decreases rapidly near the tidal flat areas due to turbidity in the northeastern zone and pollution in Sulaibikhat Bay. Different ostracod assemblages inhabit the subenvironments of the bay. The tidal-flat assemblage differs from that of the nearshore area and from the assemblage living in the restricted area in the western corner of the bay. Ostracods in the bay are mostly found living on clayey silt sediments and sandy mud.

Forty-nine species belonging to 39 genera were recognised in the bay, of which 28 were found living there. The dominant living species in the bay include Hemicytheridea paiki Jain, 1978; Keijella nealei Jain, 1978; Jainella karwarensis Bhatia & Kumar, 1979; Propontocypris sp.; Chrysocythere keiji Jain, 1978; Aglaiocypris sp.; Alocopocythere reticulata indoaustralica (Hartmann, 1978); Carinocythereis batei Jain, 1978; Cytherella pulchra Brady, 1868; Hemikrithe peterseini Jain, 1978 and Neomonoceratina sp. cf. N. delicata Ishizaki & Kato, 1976.