| Abstract: | Ninetysix species of Cladocera, comprising 8 Sididae, 50 Chydoridae, 17 Macrothricidae, 5 Moinidae, 2 Bosminidae, and 14 Daphniidae, occur in tropical Australia. Of this number 38% are cosmopolitan including so-called cosmopolitan species, 13.5% are circumtropical, 13.5% occur as well innear by countries, and 35% are endemic. North Queensland is a major area of speciation. Species richness varies from north to south and from wetter coastal areas to the drier inland. Major factors influencing richness and distribution are the relative proportion of floodplain billabongs in an area, coupled with rainfall reliability. The most common species include Alonella clathratula, Chydorus nr. pubsecens, Macrothrix triserialis, Oxyurella singalensis, Ephemeroporus nr. barroisi, Dadaya macrops, Diaphanosoma sarsi, Ceriodaphnia cornuta, and Dunhevedia crassa. |
