Abstract
Polychaetes form an important component of the food chain in mangrove ecosystem especially from fisheries point of view. For the present study monthly survey in three mangroves in Cochin was carried out for two years. A checklist of soil dwelling polychaetous annelids was prepared wiht the help of literature on polychaetes specific to mangrove ecosystems of India. Sixty-two species of 35 genera have been reported from three Indian mangroves (Sunderbans, Bombay and Cochin) out of which those coming under Errantia group (44 species) were dominant when comparred to Sedentaria group (18 species). Among the 15 families identified, the species diversity of Neridae and Eunicidae were found to be high.