In this paper, the distribution of Cladocera species in the different sampling sites: the main channel/old river bed, parapotamal type side arms and plesiopotamal side arms, is described. The structure of cladoceran assemblages in the by-passed Danube section and in the adjacent floodplain water bodies has changed since the Gabcˇı´kovo hydropower plant was put into operation. Great changes have been observed in the previous parapotamal side arm situated between river km 1840 and 1820, artificially fed with water from the head-race canal. The dominance of tychoplanktonic (benthic and phytophilous) species has increased, while the typical euplanktonic species have disappeared. Three characteristic groups of cladoceran assemblages were recorded when a different type of habitat was taken into consideration. Euplanktonic cladocerans prevailed on all sampling sites before damming. In periods after damming, littoral species, and later also a euplanktonic forms, dominated on the main channel sampling sites. In parapotamal and plesiopotamal side arms with rich littoral macrovegetation during periods after damming, phytophilous cladoceran species were the ones with the highest occurrence. The samplings from the first time period were rather homogenous. The samplings from the second and third period were more similar when considering the sample site than regarding the time period. In total, 64 cladoceran species were recorded in the course of 13 years (from 1991 to 2004). The increase in number of Cladocera species from 1991 to 2004 was significant. Chydorus sphaericus was found to be the most widely distributed species in the study area. The finding of Disparalona hamata is the first faunistic record from the central part of the Danubian watersheds.

The species composition, seasonal dynamic of biomass and density of zooplankton were studied in two arms with a different hydrological regime. The samples were collected in two hydrologically different years -extremely wet in 2002 and extremely dry in 2003. In the first arm the mean annual chlorophyll-a concentration was 31.6 µg L In total, 45 cladoceran and 14 copepod species were recorded in the medial and littoral zones. During observation we concluded that the structure of zooplankton, particularly species composition, abundance, biomass and seasonal dynamics are affected by the fluctuation of water levels in the arms of the rivers' inundation areas. This unstable hydrological regime prevented the development of planktonic crustaceans.

. Small species, Bosmina longirostris and Chydorus sphaericus were dominant. Only four adult Copepoda -Cyclops vicinus, Thermocyclops crassus, Eurytemora velox and Eudiaptomus gracilis -were recorded in quantitative samples of both years. In the zooplankton assemblage dominated rotifers (Synchaeta pectinata, Synchaeta oblonga, Polyarthra dolichoptera and Keratella cochlearis) which represented 78% and 67% of total abundance respectively. The total of 19 species of rotifers, 34 Cladocera species and 16 taxa of Copepoda were found.