The spatial and temporal variations of the benthic macrofauna in the intertidal zone and surf zone were examined in October/2003 (dry period) and April/ 2003 (rainy period), in Paracuru beach, Ceará. In the intertidal zone, a perpendicular transect was used, with points distanced to each other in 10m, from the supralittoral/midlittoral limit to the sea. Five replicates were taken from each sampling point, using a cylindric corer. In the surf zone, 5 perpendicular tows were conducted with a rectangular dredge, in the first 30m of the surf zone. The temperature, salinity and depth of ground water had little influence in the macrofauna zonation. Probably, the sediment particle-size and moisture were the most significant environmental parameters to the zonation pattern observed. The benthic macrofauna of the Paracuru beach was not abundant, being constituted mainly by the Polychaeta-Mollusca-Crustacea taxocenosis, in which Scolelepis squamata, Olivella minuta, Excirolana braziliensis and Pseudosphaeroma sp. were the most representative organisms in the study area.