Species diversity of rotifers (rotifera: monogononta) in freshwater psammon with three new records to Vietnam

This study aims to evaluate the diversity of rotifers in psammon in the Central Coast of Vietnam. A total of 64 rotifer species belonging to 17 genera and 14 families were recorded in 10 samples collected at hygropsammon zones of freshwater lakes and ponds in Thua Thien Hue province. Lepadella cristata (Rousselet, 1893), Cephalodella tenuior (Gosse, 1886), and Lindia torulosa Dujardin, 1841 were new record to Vietnam rotifers fauna. Species from the families Lecanidae, Lepadellidae, and Trichocercidae are abundant (containing about 44%, 14%, and 12%, respectively) in the total rotifer species recorded. Psammonxenic species accounted for the largest percentage of the psammic rotifer community with 83%, followed by psammonphiles (11%) and psammonbionts (6%). Our study results enrich the data on the diversity and the ecology of rotifers in Vietnam.

The Planktonic Rotifer Community in a Lake Restored with Selective Hypolimnetic Withdrawal

The objective of this study was to analyze variations in the planktonic rotifer community in a lake subjected to hypolimnetic withdrawal. The present study is also the first attempt to estimate the effects of changes in hypolimnion water withdrawal rates on the zooplankton community. The lake is located in northeastern Poland. Zooplankton were sampled in 1986, 2004 and 2013. Standard protocols of zooplankton sampling and elaboration were applied. Rotifer abundance, wet biomass, community structure, and species diversity were studied at different intensities of hypolimnetic water withdrawal. Trophic state indices based on rotifer abundance and species structure were used to evaluate changes in the trophic state of the lake. Our results showed increased planktonic rotifer species diversity over a period of years, which was a positive outcome of the restoration measures. Lower hypolimnetic withdrawal rates seemed to favor the development of a diverse rotifer community. Conversely, qualitative changes in zooplankton structure and a zooplankton-based assessment of the lake trophic state indicated that water eutrophication was progressing. Despite modifications to the operation of the pipeline, no significant differences in rotifer abundance or biomass were detected between the sites in each year or among years at each site.

The Species Diversity of Tropical Freshwater Rotifers (Rotifera: Monogononta) in Relation to Environmental Factors

This study aims to evaluate the diversity of rotifers in various freshwater habitats in Da Nang City, Vietnam, and to investigate the relationship between community structure and environmental conditions. A total of 75 rotifer species belonging to 25 genera and 17 families were recorded, out of which seven species are new to Vietnam. Species from the families Brachionidae and Lecanidae are abundant (containing about 50% and 69.44%, respectively) in the total rotifer species in both lacustrine and riverine habitats. The number of rotifers recorded in the lakes (64 taxa) was much higher than those in rivers (36 taxa), and this is possibly due to the conditions in lakes being more favorable for the development of small zooplanktons. The significant influences of environmental factors (temperature, pH, turbidity, and trophic state) on the rotifer community were well-reflected in the distribution of commonly found species in lakes (p-value < 0.05). Our study results enrich the data on the diversity and the ecology of rotifers in Vietnam.

Functional groups of rotifers and an exotic species in a tropical shallow lake

In freshwater environments the rotifer group may be divided into microphagous and raptorial species regarding their feeding patterns, and such guilds differently interact with other community components. Here, we analyzed the influence of cladocerans, cyclopoid nauplii, temperature, food resources and an exotic species on rotifer guilds, based on weekly samplings for 1 year. We have identified rotifer species and their trophi types in order to separate them into the raptorial and microphagous functional groups. The ratio raptorial:microphagous rotifers (Guild ratio, GR) was used in interaction analyses with cladocerans, nauplii, temperature, food resources and the exotic species Kellicottia bostoniensis. Correlations between total rotifers and food (phytoplankton carbon) and temperature were negative and significant, therefore, these factors did not lead to the increase of rotifer community. On the other hand, microphagous rotifers had opposing relation to cladoceran densities, as GR values showed that they became predominant when cladoceran populations declined. The use of density-based GR was adequate, with similar results compared to biomass-based studies regarding interactions with other organisms. Furthermore, we have found no invasive characteristics for the exotic microphagous rotifer, Kellicottia bostoniensis, and it seems to be outcompeted by the native microphagous species.

Structure and spatial distribution of the rotifer assemblages along a tropical reservoir

The construction of reservoirs is a common practice in the world. These systems modify the hydric landscape and alter the flow of rivers, becoming lotic environments in lentic. Here we investigated the structure and spatial distribution of rotifers along a tropical reservoir. We sampled four points in the Pedra do Cavalo Reservoir, Bahia, Brazil, bimonthly, between August 2014 and June 2015. We registered more than 70 taxa distributed in 17 families, with the majority of species belonging to the Lecanidae, Brachionidae and Trichocercidae families. The species rarefaction curve did not achieve a total asymptote, indicating that species richness in the reservoir is higher than what was registered. Based in the species frequency of occurrence, we identified 48 rare species, 16 common species, five constant species and one frequent species. The highest beta diversity values were registered in riverine P1 (0.513) and intermediate P2 (0.503), although there were no significant differences between the sampling points. Despite the high abundance values in P1, P2 and P3 no significant differences were found between the studied points. Thus, this study substantially increases the knowledge on the rotifer community in the Paraguaçu River and contributes to future studies that focus on biodiversity, ecology and conservation in the Brazilian reservoir ecosystems.

Seasonal Differences in Taxonomic Diversity of Rotifer Communities in a Hungarian Lowland Oxbow Lake Exposed to Aquaculture Effluent

With the intensification of aquaculture technologies, the amount of feed input and waste material is increasing, creating potentially negative impacts on freshwater habitats receiving effluent from such systems. Changes in biodiversity of zooplankton communities is often used to assess the effects of such impacts. Rotifers are suitable for bioindication of water quality due to their fast reaction to environmental changes. We examined seasonal changes in the diversity of rotifer communities along a 3.5 km section of the biggest oxbow lake in the Tisza River basin, Hungary, that received inflow from an intensive tank-based aquaculture farm. We detected a species-rich rotifer community with 26 species. Using the Rényi one-parameter diversity index families, we found that biodiversity increased away from the point of inflow in spring, but after a summer transition period the situation became partially reversed during autumn. At the beginning of the study period, the nutrient-rich effluent strengthened the dominance of common species, which decreased but did not disappear in summer. In autumn, the extra nutrient input delayed the decline of the rotifer community at the point of effluent.

Responses of Rotifer Community to Microhabitat Changes Caused by Summer-Concentrated Rainfall in a Shallow Reservoir, South Korea

Empirical studies suggest that the structural heterogeneity of aquatic ecosystem microhabitat is determined by the diversity and abundance of macrophytes. However, excessive accumulation of free-floating macrophytes on the water surface can reduce the biomass of submerged macrophytes, resulting in a relatively simplified habitat structure. We hypothesized that heavy summer rainfall disrupts the growth of free-floating macrophytes covering much of the Jangcheok Reservoir’s water surface, thereby resulting in a more complex habitat structure by allowing development of a more diverse of macrophytic community. We divided long-term (2008–2017) monitoring data (rainfall, macrophytes, and rotifers) into two groups: Rainy and Dry years, corresponding to years with annual rainfall higher and lower than the total annual average, respectively. We found that summer densities of rotifers fell sharply in Rainy years, but increased continuously in Dry years. This trend resulted in greater autumn densities in Rainy relative to Dry years, which we attributed to changes in habitat related to differential macrophyte development. Moderate disturbance of the water surface caused by high summer rainfall can promote growth of submerged macrophytes by creating large areas of open water and therefore a more complex autumnal microhabitat structure, resulting in seasonal variations in rotifer community structures and populations. Moreover, a highly complex microhabitat structure restricts foraging activity of fish (i.e., Lepomis macrochirus) that prey on rotifers. Based on these findings, we suggest that summer-concentrated rainfall plays an important role in supporting the density and species diversity of rotifers.