Cyclopidae (Crustacea, Copepoda) from the upper Paraná River floodplain, Brazil

Abstract

Cyclopid copepods from samples of fauna associated with aquatic macrophytes and plancton obtained in lotic and lentic environments were obtained from the upper Paraná River floodplain (in the states of Paraná and Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil). Macrophytes were collected in homogeneous stands and washed. Plankton samples, taken from the water column surface and bottom, were obtained using a motor pump, with a 70 µm mesh plankton net for filtration. Twelve taxa of Cyclopidae were identified. Among them, Macrocyclops albidus albidus, Paracyclops chiltoni, Ectocyclops rubescens, Homocyclops ater, Eucyclops solitarius, Mesocyclops longisetus curvatus, Mesocyclops ogunnus, and Microcyclops finitimus were new finds for this floodplain. Eight species were recorded exclusively in aquatic macrophyte samples. Among these species, M. albidus albidus and M. finitimus presented greatest abundances. Only four species were recorded in plankton samples, and Thermocyclops minutus and Thermocyclops decipiens are limited to this type of habitat. Among these four species, T. minutus is the most abundant, especially in lentic habitats.Key words: Cyclopidae, taxonomy, phytophyle fauna, zooplankton, Paraná River. RESUMO Cyclopidae (Crustacea, Copepoda) da planície de inundação do alto rio Paraná, BrasilForam obtidos copépodes cyclopídeos de amostras de fauna associadas a macrófitas aquáticas e plâncton de ambientes lóticos e lênticos da planície de inundação do alto rio Paraná (nos Estados do Paraná e Mato Grosso do Sul). As amostras foram coletadas em bancos homogêneos e lavadas. As amostras de plâncton, tomadas à superfície e fundo da coluna de água, foram obtidas com o auxílio de uma motobomba, utilizando-se uma rede de plâncton de abertura de malha de 70 µm para filtração.

Biodiversity of zooplankton communities in the Upper Paraná River floodplain: interannual variation from long-term studies

“…For each sample, we identified the species until the species accumulation curve became stable. The individuals were identified using specialized taxonomic literature (Koste, 1978;Vucetich, 1973;Reid, 1985;Matsumura-Tundisi, 1986;Segers, 1995;Elmoor-Loureiro, 1997;Lansac-Tôha et al, 2002).…”

Occurrence of the Afro-Asian species Mesocyclops ogunnus Onabamiro, 1957 (Crustacea: Copepoda) in the Amazon River basin

“…In the Americas this species has been recorded as an introduced species (Reid and Pinto-Coelho, 1994;Matsumura-Tundisi and Silva, 2002;Suarez-Moralez et al, 1999;Hribar and Reid, 2008). In Brazil, M. ogunnus has been recorded in the Paraná River basin in hydroelectric plant reservoirs and in flood plain areas (Reid and Pinto-Coelho, 1994;Matsumura-Tundisi and Silva, 2002;Lansac-Tôha et al, 2002;Silva, 2011), in the Southeast Atlantic Coast basin in natural lakes of the Rio Doce Valley (Peixoto, et al, 2010) and in the Northeast Atlantic Coast basin in urban reservoirs (Cardôso et al, 2013). The present work records the occurrence of M. ogunnus for the first time in the Amazon River basin.…”

Estimating cyclopoid copepod species richness and geographical distribution (Crustacea) across a large hydrographical basin: comparing between samples from water column (plankton) and macrophyte stands

“…ZOOLOGIA 31 (3): 239-244, June, 2014 There are no comparative studies of copepod richness between habitats in large geographical scales, only in lotic stretches or in lakes (LANSAC-TÔHA et al 2002, MAIA-BARBOSA et al 2008. This study is the first to compare copepod species richness in a large hydrographic basin, the fourth largest in the world.…”

“…The low endemism of cyclopoids can be in part explained by their efficient dispersion (e.g., by birds, fishes, humans) and their recent colonization of many parts of the world (BOXSHALL & JAUME 2000, SUÁREZ-MORÁLES et al 2004. Comparing among the main rivers of the La Plata Basin, the composition of cyclopoid species is similar (PAGGI & JOSÉ DE PAGGI 1990, LANSAC-TÔHA et al 2002.…”

“…For example, two studies sampling the two types of habitats, open water and macrophyte stands have documented this trend for lakes in Brazil (LANSAC-TÔHA et al 2002, MAIA-BARBOSA et al 2008. The habitat complexity provided by aquatic macrophytes (GENKAI-KATO 2007, LUCENA-MOYA & DUGGAN 2011 also allow several species to be more abundant in them (GERALDES & BOAVIDA 2004).…”