Lipiniella arenicola (Chironomidae) compared withChironomus muratensis andCh. nudiventris: Distribution patterns related to depth and sediment characteristics,diet, and behavioural response to reduced oxygen concentrations |
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Authors: | Henk Smit Floor Heinis Ronald Bijkerk Frans Kerkum |
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Institution: | (1) Institute for Inland Water Management and Waste Water Treatment, P.O. Box 17, NL-8200 AA Lelystad, The Netherlands;(2) Present address: Tidal Waters Division, P.O. Box 20907, 2500 EX Den Haag, The Netherlands;(3) AquaSense, P.O. Box 41125, NL-1009 EC Amsterdam, The Netherlands;(4) RDD Aquatic Ecosystems, P.O. Box 14, NL-9750 AA Haren, The Netherlands |
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Abstract: | Density patterns ofLipiniella arenicola andChironomus muratensis were studied in Lake Wolderwijd (The Netherlands) using geostatistics, and compared with patterns of depth and silt contents of the sediment.L. arenicola was restricted to shallow (depth <1 m), sandy silt (silt content <5%), wind-exposed sediments.Ch. muratensis occurred all over the lake, but the highest densities were found in the sheltered silty North-West corner. Gut analyses of IV-instar larvae from the Ventjagers flats (Haringvliet, Lower Rhine-Meuse) showed thatL. arenicola fed by selectively grazing on benthic algae,Ch. muratensis by filtering and non-selective grazing, andCh. nudiventris by non-selective grazing. In the laboratory, behavioural responses to reduced oxygen concentrations were tested with the impedance conversion technique.L. arenicola was more sensitive to low oxygen concentrations (<3 mg l–1) than bothChironomus species. It is argued that the differences in resistance to hypoxia and feeding behaviour are in accordance with the differences in distribution patterns. The restriction ofL. arenicola to the pure sand habitats is not attributable to an especially high sensitivity to low dissolved oxygen concentrations alone. Several behavioural adaptations enableL. arenicola larvae to live in the shallow, wind-exposed pure-sand habitats: the ability to select food items, tube strength, and site selection of ovipositing females or planktonic larvae. |
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Keywords: | Lipiniella Chironomus depth distribution sediment characteristics geostatistics gut analysis oxygen behaviour impedance conversion |
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