Environmental factors associated with abundance and bioindicator potential of Australomicrodeutopus in tropical brackish water ponds

Abstract

Amphipods are recognized as important ecological components of brackish water ecosystems, yet empirical evidence linking their distribution to environmental conditions in tropical aquaculture ponds remains limited.This study investigated the environmental factors associated with abundance influencing the distribution of the amphipod genus Australomicrodeutopus and evaluated its potential as a bioindicator of environmental quality in tropical brackish water ponds.Field observations were conducted in two shrimp ponds located in Suppa District, Pinrang Regency, Indonesia, with weekly sampling performed over a three-month period.Relationships between amphipod abundance and environmental variables were assessed using correlation analysis.The results revealed distinct environmental responses between ponds.In Pond A, Australomicrodeutopus abundance was strongly and negatively correlated with dissolved oxygen (DO) (r = -0.78,p < 0.01), pH (r = -0.71,p < 0.05), and biological oxygen demand (BOD) (r = -0.69,p < 0.05), indicating that changes in water quality conditions significantly influenced amphipod occurrence.Ammonia showed a moderate negative relationship, whereas salinity, phosphate, and nitrite exhibited weak positive associations with amphipod abundance.In contrast, Pond B was characterized by a strong positive correlation between amphipod abundance and total organic matter (BOT) (r = 0.82, p < 0.01), suggesting that organic enrichment provided favorable habitat and food resources for population development.The findings indicate that bottom organic matter (BOT), DO, pH, and BOD are environmental factors associated with variations in Australomicrodeutopus abundance.These results suggest that Australomicrodeutopus may serve as a potential bioindicator of environmental quality in tropical brackish-water ponds.However, further validation across broader spatial and temporal scales is required before its bioindicator performance can be conclusively established.The strong sensitivity of amphipod abundance to key environmental parameters highlights the ecological relevance of this genus as a potential bioindicator for monitoring environmental quality in tropical brackish aquaculture systems.Future research should develop predictive ecological models and long-term monitoring frameworks to integrate Australomicrodeutopus-based indicators into sustainable aquaculture management and environmental assessment programs.

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