ZOOPLANKTON FAUNA OF A SECTION OF OGBESE RIVER, EKITI STATE, NIGERIA

This study investigated the abundance and diversity of zooplankton in a section of Ogbese river in Ado Ekiti. Samples were collected fortnightly for a duration of 3 months. A total of 16 genera of zooplankton belonging to three families were recorded. The zooplankton groups recorded were Rotifera, Cladocera and Copepod. The relative abundance of individuals shows that Rotifera was the highest (61.7%). This was followed by Copepoda (24.7%) and Cladocera (13. 4%). The numerical abundance also shows that Rotifera has 343 individuals per ml of water sample, Copepoda had 137 individuals per ml while Cladocera had 74 individuals per ml of water samples. The order of zooplankton abundance is Rotifera > Copepoda > Cladocera.