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ABSTRACTThis study assessed the influence of deteriorating water quality on the cladoceran assemblage of Ikpoba River, Benin City, Nigeria. Four stations were chosen spatially along the water course to reflect a concern of all possible human activities that are capable of changing the quality of river water. The water samples were collected once in every month for six months (December 2017 to May 2018). Sixteen physico-chemical parameters namely air and water temperature, water level, water velocity, transparency, pH, and electrical conductivity alkalinity, dissolved oxygen, biological oxygen demand, nitrate, nitrite, phosphate, ammonium, and total dissolved solids were analysed using standard methods. Turbidity was the only parameter that exceeded the permissible limit for drinking water quality standards. Twenty-three taxa were identified from five families and a total of 150 individuals were encountered. Chydoridae and Macrothricidae represented the most dominant species (61% and 18% of cladocerans community respectively) followed by Moinidae (13%). The dominant chydorid and macrothricid were Alona eximia and Moina micrura. The general diversity using Shannon Weiner index showed diversity in decreasing order of station 4>2>1>3. There was a poor correlation between the cladocerans and the physico-chemical parameters analysed. The dissolved oxygen content in the water was very low and this was probably as a result of effluents discharged into the river at the sampled stations. Regulatory measures should be taken to prevent deterioration of water quality and to enhance the survival of aquatic ecosystem.
