Fisheries and Aquaculture Journal
Open Access
ISSN: 2150-3508
ISSN: 2150-3508
Alebachew Mulat*, Seyoum Mengistou, Ayenew Gizeb
Like other tropical rivers Gumara river in the Lake Tana Basin, faces considerable challenges due to agricultural runoff, pollutants and agro-pastoral activities. Despite these influences, there remains a lack of information regarding the relationship between aquatic macroinvertebrate distribution and environmental parameters within the Gumara Maksegnit watershed. This study, conducted on May 2023 during the pre-rainy season, aimed to address this gap by assessing the influence of water and habitat quality on the distribution and feeding traits of benthic macroinvertebrates across eight sampling sites. Water quality parameters were assessed both in situ and laboratory analysis. Benthic macroinvertebrates were collected using a kick net and habitat quality was evaluated by using Gitonga (2021). Statistical analyses, including Pearson's correlation, ANOVA and canonical correspondence analysis were employed. The current water quality parameters of the river were found to be within acceptable standards for aquatic life. A total of 831 macroinvertebrate individuals from 7 orders and 19 families were identified and counted in this study. The most dominant taxonomic group was Coleoptera, accounting for 58.47% of the total, followed by Mollusca (9.65%). Due to scarcity of stony substrates the presence of EPT taxa was relatively low in the study sites. In terms of abundance of functional feeding groups predators (Coleoptera, Hemiptera and Odonata) were the most abundant trophic group at most of the sites, with a proportion of 84. 71 %, followed by scrapers (13.83%) and collector-gatherers (1.32%) while collector-filters had the lowest representation across all sites with 0.72%. The study indicates the influence of physicochemical parameters and habitat quality on macroinvertebrate communities, emphasizing the need for measures to mitigate anthropogenic pressures to preserve freshwater ecosystems and their biota. Further research across different seasons and locations along the river is recommended to comprehensively assess its water quality status.
Published Date: 2025-01-29; Received Date: 2024-08-12