Ecology of rotifers of Surinsar,a subtropical,fresh water lake in Jamme (J & K), India

17 species of rotifers have been recorded from Lake Surinsar, Jammu (J & K), India of which some are either exclusively limnetic (Brachionus angularis, Hexarthra sp., Filinia opliensis), or littoral (Brachionus patulus, M. ventralis, Trichotoria sp., Platyias quadricornis, Lecane (Monostyla) decipiens, L (M), bulla and Lecane sp.) and others (Keratella tropica, Anuraeopsis fissa, Brachionus quadridentatus, B. calyciflorus, Trichocera sp., T. similis, and Polyarthra sp.) seem to be wandering species. Seasonal maxima for both littoral and limnetic zones are reported. Most population maxima are contributed mainly by one or at best two species.Physico-chemical factors like temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, free carbon dioxide, calcium, magnesium, and total alkalinity have been studied and their infuence on these rotifer species are discussed. On their thermal responses, the available rotifer species have been classified as warm stenothermal, cold stenothermal or eurythermal. The importance of Mytilina ventralis as a biological indicator for dissolved oxygen in this lake has been pointed out.     

Additions to the rotifer fauna of south-east Asia: new and rare species from north-east Thailand

Ninety-three freshwater habitats in the north-eastern part of Thailand were surveyed for rotifers during March–October 1993. Two hundred species were identified, 120 of which are new to Thailand. Brachionus africanuss Segers, B. lyratus Shephard and Trichocerca hollaerti De Smet are new to Asia. Brachionus niwati n.sp. is described and figured. Brachionus donneri Brehm, Keratella edmondsoni (Ahlstrom) and Lecane blachei Berzi, endemic to south and southeast Asia, were found also.Comments are presented on some insufficiently known taxa. Of special zoogeographic interest is the record of several species previously considered endemic to Australia. An attempt is made to characterise the Thai rotifer fauna in the light of recent developments in rotifer zoogeography.     

Associations of planktonic and periphytic rotifers in a Malaysian estuary and two nearby ponds

Samples were taken from a Malaysian estuary along a salinity gradient from full strength sea water down to a conductivity of 27 µS cm^–1. In a region where the conductivity fluctuated between 6500 and 14000 µS only empty loricas of Keratella cochlearis and Lecane bulla were found. Where the salinity reached a maximum of 3800 µS Lecane bulla was the dominant rotifer, and 17 other species were found. Where the conductivity remained below 1000 µS at all stages of the tidal cycle there were more species of rotifers, up to 33 at one station.The rotifer fauna of the estuary was compared to the assemblage found in two local ponds. Of the 63 species found in the estuary only 29 were also found in the ponds. Compared to the total known rotifer fauna of Malaysia the estuary has a higher proportion of Lecane species (40%), and the genera Brachionus and Trichocerca are under-represented.Species associated with inland saline waters, such as Brachionus plicatilis, B. dimidiatus and Hexarthra jenkinae were not found in the estuary.     

Differences in rotifer communities in two freshwater bodies of different trophic degree (Lake Ohrid and Lake Dojran,Macedonia)

We investigated monogonont rotifers in two natural Macedonian lakes that greatly differ in age, size and trophic state: Lake Ohrid and Lake Dojran. A main characteristic of Lake Ohrid is the scarcity of nutrients and consequently a low level of primary production. Lake Dojran represents a typical eutrophic lake. Results clearly indicate that species numbers are negatively correlated with trophic degree. Qualitative analyses of rotifer compositions in Lakes Ohrid and Dojran showed the presence of 70 and 55 taxa, respectively. Rotifer assemblages differed in their community structure, population densities, and the occurrence pattern of dominant species. The density of rotifers increased with increasing nutrient concentration, varying from min. 0.67 ind. L⁻¹ in June, 2006 to max. 8.2 ind. L⁻¹ in July, 2004 in Lake Ohrid, whereas min. 28.8 ind. L⁻¹ (in December, 2005) and max. 442.5 ind. L⁻¹ (in September, 2005) were recorded in Lake Dojran. Gastropus stylifer and Keratella cochlearis were the most abundant species in the pelagic zone of Lake Ohrid, averaging monthly densities of 1.2 ind. L⁻¹ and 0.6 ind. L⁻¹, respectively, thereby contributing 29% and 15% to rotifer abundance. In contrast, Lake Dojran rotifers were dominated by Brachionus spp. Brachionus diversicornis and Brachionus calyciflorus f. amphiceros were most abundant, comprising 40% and 25% of the total rotifer density. These results corroborate our idea, that the trophic state is an important factor in determining the composition of rotifer communities.     

The effects of algae species and densities on the population growth of the marine rotifer, Colurella dicentra

Colurella dicentra clones isolated from bay water in the Mississippi Gulf Coast were cultured with artificial seawater. Experiments were conducted to determine the effects of six algae species (Nannochloropsis oculata, Tetraselmis chuii, Chaetoceros gracilis, Rhodomonas salina, Isochrysis galbana, and Prorocentrum micans), six C. gracilis densities, and six N. oculata densities (25,000, 50,000, 100,000, 250,000, 500,000, and 1,000,000 cells ml^− 1) on C. dicentra population growth. Algae type influenced rotifer production (p < 0.0001). C. gracilis treatment (9120 ± 3351SD) produced the highest number of rotifers followed by N. oculata (5760 ±2232SD). P. micans had the lowest number of rotifers, although not significantly different from numbers in T. chuii, R. salina, and I. galbana treatments (p > 0.05).The population growth rate (r) varied with algae species treatment. The highest values were recorded for C. gracilis treatment (0.22 to 0.26 d^− 1), followed by N. oculata (0.21 to 0.24 d^− 1), and the lowest for P. micans (− 0.19 to 0.14 d^− 1). C. gracilis and N. oculata densities had significant effects (p < 0.0001) on C. dicentra population growth. The highest rotifer production was recorded at a C. gracilis density of 100,000 cells ml^− 1, followed by 250,000 cells ml^− 1 and 50,000 cells ml^− 1. Algae densities of 500,000 cells ml^− 1 and above produced the lowest rotifer numbers. Population growth rate (r) varied with C. gracilis densities. The highest values were observed for C. gracilis concentrations of 100,000 cells ml^− 1 (0.17 to 0.19 d^− 1), and the lowest for concentrations of 500,000 cells ml^− 1 and above (− 0.19 to 0.09 d^− 1). The 100,000 cells ml^− 1N. oculata density gave the highest rotifer production followed by 50,000, 250,000, 25,000, and 500,000 cells ml^− 1. Algae densities of 1,000,000 cells ml^− 1 produced the lowest rotifer numbers. Population growth rate (r) varied with N. oculata densities, with the highest values obtained for algae densities of 100,000 cells ml^− 1 (0.35 to 0.40 d^− 1), and the lowest for concentrations of 1,000,000 cells ml^− 1 (0.05 to 0.012 d^− 1). This is the first report of C. dicentra in Mississippi Coastal waters, and perhaps the smallest marine rotifer species (93 by 49 μm) ever cultured successfully.     

Rotifera from Western Australian wetlands with descriptions of two new species

The rotifer fauna of 100 fresh and saline wetlands of southwest Western Australia is documented. A systematic list of 83 recorded taxa is given, with eleven new records for the continent and two new species (Brachionus pinneenaus n. sp. and Lecane boorali n. sp.) described and figured. Species assemblages are distinct from those of eastern Australia, with predominant taxa halophilous or indicative of ephemeral waters. Evolutionary and biogeographical relationships of the Western Australian rotifers are considered.     

Occurrence of Rotifera in the field under natural and intentionally-changed conditions

A comparison of population dynamics of rotifers under natural conditions with those under intentionally-changed ones was carried out at one Lake and five outdoor pools. In Lake Numasawa, dominant rotifers under natural conditions for the past two years were Polyarthra trigla vulgaris, Kellicottia longispina, Ploesoma truncatum, Asplanchna priodonta and Filinia longiseta. Keratella hiemalis, K. cochlearis, K. valga tropica, Brachionus caudatus and Ascomorpha saltans appeared sporadically. Three months after the start of circulation of part of the lake water by a water power plant no remarkable changes were observed as far as the seasonal and vertical distribution of dominant rotifers are concerned. In five pools with different kinds and ratios of covering by such macrophytes as Eichornia and Lemna or reed screen, three types of rotifer communities were found. Type I: Liliferotrocha sp., Brachionus calyciflorus, (B. budapestinensis), B. angularis, K. valga tropica, etc., in which both densities and frequencies were generally reduced in proportion to the ratio of covering either with macrophytes or reed screens. Type II: Filinia longiseta, Polyarthra trigla vulgaris, Asplanchnella sieboldi, etc. in which densities and frequencies were increased by covering either with macrophytes or reed screens. Type III: Trichocerca pusilla, B. quadridentatus, B. leydigi rotundus, Scaridium longicaudum, Euchlanis dilatata, Dicranophorus sp., etc, in which no precise correlation was found between occurrences of the Rotifers and ratio of covering.     

Zooplankton Diversity of Osmansagar Reservoir,Telangana, India

Zooplankton composition and diversity in Osmansagar reservoir, Telangana, India were investigated during the year 2010–2012. Collected data revealed the occurrence of 66 species of zooplankton, of which 50 rotifers, 14 cladocerans and two copepods. The population density of zooplankton varied from 83 to 1080 Ind./L. The highest density was due to rotifer and copepod population. Diversity (H′) was ranged from 0.679 to 2.631, evenness (J′) was 0.257 to 0.904 and species richness was 8–24. The less diversity and evenness was observed in November 2011, March and August 2012, because of copepoda dominance by Mesocyclops leuckarti. The population abundance of zooplankton was Brachionus forficula, Brachionus diversicornis, Brachionus calyciflorus, Keratella tropica, Trichocerca similis and Diaphanosoma sp. especially during the summer seasons in both the years. There was no seasonal periodicity of any zooplankton communities, but the population turnover was observed from rotifers to copepoda over the study period. The significant inter and intra relationship between and within physicochemical and zooplankton indices were noted. It is found that surface water temperature, magnesium and total hardness could be a limiting factor for the species richness. Dominance may be due to the numerical abundance of rotifer and copepod and it has a positive significant correlation with pH.     

Urban rotifers: structure and densities of rotifer communities in water bodies of the Poznań agglomeration area (western Poland)

The rotifer fauna of 19 mostly small water bodies (natural and artificial ponds, clay-pits and pools) in Pozna was studied on four occasions during 1996–98 to determine the suitability of urban areas for rotifer habitats. Rotifers were present in all the water bodies studied, with 114 species in 39 genera found, representing ca. 25% of all rotifers recorded from Poland. Mean diversity was 10 spp (range 1–36). Most common were: Brachionus angularis and Keratella cochlearis (spring), Colurella uncinata, Lecane closterocercaand Lepadella patella (summer) and L. closterocerca and K. cochlearis (autumn). Rotifer densities (1-1503 ind l^–1), Shannon's diversity (H 0.00-3.71) and dominant species differed in different water-bodies. The index of percentage similarity of community showed strong differences in qualitative structure of rotifer assemblages. The different types of water habitats, both the existing or the newly created in towns, may explain the relatively high diversity of rotifer communities observed in the urban areas studied.     

Salinity and the distribution of rotifers in the Lagos Harbour — Badagry Creek system,Nigeria

The waters of Lagos Harbour have a salinity variation of 30, as a consequence of the annual rainfall regime and of the influx of Atlantic Ocean waters. We made monthly plankton hauls at 10 stations for 11 months starting in October 1986, and found 51 species of rotifers, with Brachionus baylyi Sudzuki & Timms, Keratella hispida Lauterborn, Colurella obtusa Gosse, and Filinia pejleri Hutchinson recorded for the first time in Nigeria. In distribution, species numbers decreased with increasing salinity. Brachionus plicatilis, B. rubens, Hexarthra intermedia, Keratella americana, K. cochlearis and K. tropica were classed as euryhaline. Stenohaline species were Anuraeopsis fissa, Ascomorpha ovalis, Filinia longiseta, F. opoliensis, Gastropus sp., Lecane curvicornis and Monostyla stenroosi. All other monogononts were restricted to waters of salinity below 1.     

Abundance and distribution of pelagic rotifers in a cold,deep oligotrophic alpine lake (Königssee)

Rotifer community structure of the oligotrophic, alpine lake KGnigssee was investigated from October 1982 to October 1983. Twenty different species were found, including several cold-stenothermal and oligotrophic species. Polyarthra vulgaris/dolichoptera, Kellicottia longispina and Keratella cochlearis were the most abundant species throughout the year, comprising 90% of the total rotifer community (2.8 × 10⁶ individuals m^–2, maximum). The remainder of the rotifer community was represented by as many as eight species which occured for a short time in summer and autumn. The rotifer community was limited to the upper 50 m (85–100%) in which most (60–80%) of the rotifers preferred the trophogenic layer (0–20 m). Species-specific depth preferences were observed. Rotifer abundance and distribution are discussed in terms of the specific environmental conditions in Königssee. The rotifer community of Konigssee is compared to that of Lake Constance in its former oligotrophic state.     

Community structure and bottom-up regulation of heterotrophic microplankton in arctic LTER lakes

Microplankton community structures and abundance was assessed in lakes at the Toolik Lake LTER site in northern Alaska during the summers of 1989 and 1990. The microplankton community included oligotrich ciliates, but rotifers and zooplankton nauplii comprised greater than 90% of total estimated heterotrophic microplankton biomass. Dominant rotifer taxa included Keratella cochlearis, Kellicottia longispina, Polyarthra vulgaris, Conochilus unicornis and a Synchaeta sp. Microplankton biomass was lowest in highly oligotrophic Toolik Lake (< 5 μgCl⁻¹ at the surface) and highest (up to 55 μCl⁻¹) in the most eutrophic lakes, experimentally fertilized lakes, and fertilized limnocorrals, consistent with bottom-up regulation of microplankton abundance.     

Daphnia–rotifer interactions in Patagonian communities

In fishless ponds of extra-Andean Patagonia, large Daphnia often may severely limit the abundance of small rotifers by mechanical interference (ingestion and damage after rejection). In ten laboratory experiments, 15–20 rotifers were exposed to one large daphniid for 1 day in 80 ml water with Cryptomonas erosa (5 × 10³ cells ml⁻¹). Both D. cf. pulex (3.6 mm) and D. cf. obtusa (3.4 mm) imposed significant mortality on Keratella tropica and newborn Brachionus angularis and Brachionus calyciflorus, but not on the larger neonates of Brachionus rubens or adults of B. angularis and B. calyciflorus. B. rubens neonates avoided the possibility of interference by rapidly attaching to Daphnia. The number of susceptible rotifers killed per Daphnia day⁻¹ was 2–8 for D. cf. obtusa and 8–15 for D. cf. pulex; rotifer-based clearance rates per Daphnia day⁻¹ were 10–35 and 35–65 ml, respectively. When large daphniids occurred in Laguna Los Juncos in late September and October 1997, the only common plankton rotifer was the large and probably well-protected Keratella morenoi (total length = 210 μm). Still, microscopic examination of gut contents revealed three K. morenoi in a 3-mm D. cf. obtusa and one in a 3.5-mm D. dadayana.     

The longitudinal distribution and community dynamics of zooplankton in a regulated large river: a case study of the Nakdong River (Korea)

The longitudinal distribution and seasonal dynamics of zooplankton were examined along a 200-km section of the middle to lower Nakdong River, Korea. Zooplankton was sampled twice a month from January 1995 to December 1997 at five sites in the main river channel. There was considerable longitudinal variation in total zooplankton abundance (ANOVA, p < 0.001). All major zooplankton groups (rotifers, cladocerans, copepodids and nauplii) increased significantly with distance downstream along the river. There also were statistically significant seasonal differences in zooplankton abundance at the sampling sites (ANOVA, p < 0.01). Zooplankton abundance was high in spring and fall and low in summer and winter. The seasonal pattern of rotifers was similar to that of total zooplankton. This reflected the fact that rotifers (Brachionus calyciflorus, B. rubens, Keratella cochlearis and Polyarthra spp.) strongly dominated the zooplankton community at all locations. Among the macrozooplankton, small-bodied cladocerans (e.g. Bosmina spp.) dominated; the abundance of large-bodied cladocerans (e.g. Daphnia) was negligible (0–5 ind. l^–1). Among the environmental variables considered, partial residence time seemed to play the most important role in determining characteristics of the river zooplankton community.     

Biodiversity of Rotifera in some tropical floodplain lakes of the Brahmaputra river basin,Assam (N.E. India)

One hundred and sixteen species of Rotifera are recorded from seven floodplain lakes of the Brahmaputra basin (northeastern India), the highest rotifer biodiversity recorded from these biotopes in the Indian subcontinent to date. The Australasian Brachionus dichotomus reductus and Lecane batillifer; the Oriental Keratella edmondsoni, Lecane blachei and L. acanthinula; the Palaeotropical Lecane braumi, L. lateralis, L. unguitata, Trichocerca tropis, Testudinella greeni and T. brevicaudata; the Pantropical Brachionus donneri and a rather widely distributed Horaella brehmi represent taxa of biogeographical interest. Three species are new additions to the Indian rotifer fauna and eight are new to the N.E. region. Lecanidae > Brachionidae = Colurellidae > Trichocercidae > Testudinellidae comprise the largest fraction (68.0%) of the examined fauna. Comments are made on the general nature and composition of the rotifer taxocoenosis as well as on acidophilic elements, ecology of various taxa and on the species richness of different lakes.     

Biodiversity of freshwater microfauna in the floodplain of the River Mun, Northeast Thailand: the Rotifera monogononta

We report on the γ- diversity of Rotifera in freshwater habitats of the River Mun floodplain, Northeast Thailand. Qualitative samples were collected during the pre-monsoon (April) and post-monsoon (October) periods of 2000, from 70 habitats spanning a diverse array of freshwater habitat types. Of the 184 species identified, most belong to Lecane (31.0%), followed by Trichocerca (12.0%), Lepadella (11.4%) and Brachionus (8.2%). Oriental, Australasian, and Eastern hemisphere taxa account for 4.3%, 3.3% and 7.1%, respectively, of the total rotifer fauna, and 8.8%, 1.7% and 10.5%, respectively, of Lecane. Although comparison between studies is difficult, these numbers conform to previous reports on the diversity and composition of the rotifer fauna of Thai freshwater habitats, and of tropical floodplain ecosystems. Diversity is lowest during the post-monsoon period, which may result from disturbance by monsoon conditions. Two morphospecies, Brachionus srisumonaen. sp., and Lecane niwati n. sp., are described as new to science. Additional noteworthy occurrences are, Lecane robertsonae Segers, previously considered a Neotropical endemic, and L. subtilis Harring & Myers, a tropicopolitan species new to Thailand and the Oriental region.     

Review of rotifers and crustaceans in highly acidic environments of pH values ≤3

A review of the literature on rotifers and crustacean zooplankton in highly acidic environments revealed that data from eleven aquatic environments on three continents (America, Europe, Japan) with a pH 3 are available. Seven sites are influenced by volcanism or weathering processes in the catchment area, four others originated from human mining activities. Species richness was generally low. Only 16 species are found and 1–11 species are reported for each area. These studies clearly show that small littoral or benthic rotifers predominate over crustaceans under highly acidic conditions. In the Lusatian mining area (Germany), all lakes are colonized by zooplankton, even the most acidic one with a pH of 2.3. The core community consists of the rotifers Cephalodella hoodi, C. gibba, Elosa worallii and Rotaria rotatoria, with C. hoodi and E. worallii the most abundant. Larger species, such as the rotifer Brachionus sericus or the cladoceran Chydorus sphaericus, occur at a pH close to 3. A similar pattern is reported from acidic mining lakes in Illinois, U.S.A. Many of these species can also be found in less acidic softwater or even alkaline environments due to the tolerance of a broad range of pH values. Elosa worallii and Brachionus sericus are probably the most acidophilic rotifer species, though at least the latter can also grow at neutral pH in the laboratory. Clear understanding of the pH limits of B. sericus in nature may also have been complicated by the fact that it has probably in the past been wrongly named as B. urceolaris (phenotype `sericus'). The typical B. urceolaris cannot tolerate extremely low pH. Overall, generalist species with a worldwide distribution seem to play the major role in the colonization of anthropogenic highly acidic lakes.     

Effect of two microalgae concentrations on body size and egg size of the rotifer <Emphasis Type="Italic">Brachionus calyciflorus</Emphasis>

The rotifer, Brachionus calyciflorus, was grown with two algae species (Chlorella sp. and Scenedesmus obliquus) at different concentrations (0.1, 1 and 10 × 10⁶ cells ml⁻¹). The body size (lorica biovolume) of individual rotifer and their egg size were measured when the populations were roughly in the exponential phase of population growth. The body size of the rotifers differed significantly (P < 0.05) among the two algae species used, however this effect was not observed for egg size. The body size of rotifers fed on higher densities of Chlorella sp. (10 × 10⁶ cells ml⁻¹) was significantly larger than for those fed on lower and medium densities (0.1 and 1 × 10⁶ cells ml⁻¹). Body size and egg size of rotifers fed with different amounts of Scenedesmus did not differ significantly. The egg size was significantly larger at higher food level of Chlorella. A significantly positive correlation was observed between the adult rotifer body size and their egg size.     

New records of rotifers from the South Island lakes,New Zealand

Thirty-five lakes in the South Island of New Zealand were surveyed for rotifers during 1988–1991. Of 85 taxa identified, 31 are first records for New Zealand, bringing the rotifers recorded from the country to 331. Four species (Keratella australis, K. slacki, Lecane herzigi and L. tasmaniensis), previously recorded as endemic forms only in Australia, are now added to the New Zealand checklist. Several of the new records are photographed, and scanning electron micrographs of the trophi are shown. Comments are made on the Australasian endemics and rotifer biogeography in New Zealand.     

Effects of Daphnia on microzooplankton communities

Intact phytoplankton and microzooplankton communities from eutrophicStar Lake were incubated for 4 days with and without Daphniapulex, Daphnia galeaia mendotae, or a natural assemblage ofDaphnia species. They were sampled at the onset and terminationof the experiment for bacterial, phytoplankton, ciliate, rotifer,copepod and cladoceran densities. The cladocerans had variedeffects on the rotifers, ranging from significant suppressionof most rotifer species (Keratella cochlearis, Polyarthra remata,Keratella crassa) in the D.pulex jars, to the suppression ofone (K.crassa) or no species in the D.galeata mendotae and StarLake Daphnia assemblage jars, respectively. Small ciliates (<30µm, longest dimension), such as Strobilidium sp. and Pseudo-cyclidiumsp., were adversely affected by most of the cladoceran treatments,while several larger ciliates (>81 µm) were unaffectedin all such treatments. Ciliates were not consistently morevulnerable to cladoceran suppression than similarly sized rotifers.The suppression of ciliates and rotifers was attributable toboth direct effects (predation, interference, or both) and indirecteffects (e.g. resource competition) of the cladocerans. ¹Present address: Department of Biology, University of Louisville,Louisville, KY 40292, USA