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

Abstract

Samples were taken from a Malaysian estuary along a salinity gradient from full strength sea water down to a conductivity of 27 AS cm -' . 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 AS 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 .

High food availability linked to dominance of small zooplankton in a subtropical floodplain

“…Brachionidae, Lecanidae (Rotifera), and Chydoridae (Cladocera), which were the most representative families in the characterization of the studied environments, are typical in floodplain habitats (Bonecker, Aoyagui, & Santos, ; José de Paggi & Paggi, ; Lansac‐Tôha et al, ). These families are favored in environments with aquatic vegetation because they have structures that facilitate fixation to surfaces and feeding (Dole‐Olivier, Galassi, Marmonier, & Des Chatelliers, ; Green, ) and macrophytes are abundant in these environments (Thomaz, Carvalho, Padial, & Kobayashi, ).…”

Zooplankton associated with phytotelms and treefrogs in a neotropical forest

“…The rotifer genus Lecane is characterized by having many species that are commonly associated with substrate (Green, 1984(Green, , 2003 which is related to its periphytic habit and structures for fixing (Duggan, 2001). Nevertheless, the species Lecane closterocerca did not occur on frogs, which reveals that individuals are in low flux between microcosms.…”