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High zooplankton diversity in the extreme environments of the McMurdo Dry Valley lakes, Antarctica

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 October 2011

Lars-Anders Hansson*
Affiliation:
Institute of Biology/Aquatic Ecology, Ecology Building, Lund University, SE-223 62 Lund, Sweden
Samuel Hylander
Affiliation:
Institute of Biology/Aquatic Ecology, Ecology Building, Lund University, SE-223 62 Lund, Sweden
Herbert J.G. Dartnall
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney 2109, Australia
Sven Lidström
Affiliation:
Swedish Polar Research Programme, PO Box 50005, SE-104 05 Stockholm, Sweden
Jan-Erik Svensson
Affiliation:
Medins Biologi, SE-435 33 Mölnlycke, Sweden
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Abstract

The McMurdo Dry Valley lakes of Antarctica constitute some of the harshest and most isolated freshwater environments on Earth which might be expected to limit the biogeographical expansion of many organisms. Despite this, we found that the biodiversity of rotifer zooplankton is the highest ever recorded on the Antarctic mainland. We identified in total nine rotifer taxa, of which six are new to the Antarctic continent, in Lake Hoare, and also the first sub-adult crustacean copepod belonging to the genus Boeckella. A possible explanation for the high biodiversity is that many of the recorded species have arrived in the region in relatively recent times and then established invasive populations, suggesting that their distribution pattern was previously limited only by biogeographical borders. Interestingly, we show that the cosmopolitan rotifer taxa identified are relatively abundant, suggesting that they have established viable populations. Hence, our study suggests that the biogeographical maps have to be redrawn for several species.

Information

Type
Biological Sciences
Copyright
Copyright © Antarctic Science Ltd 2011
Figure 0

Table I The Antarctic distributions of rotifers with special reference to the Brachionidae family including the genera Brachionus, Keratella, Kellicottia and Notholca. References: Lake Hoare, this study; Ross Island, Murray 1910, Cathey et al. 1981; Schirmacher Ponds, Kutikova 1991; Larsemann Hills, Dartnall 1995b; Vestfold Hills, Dartnall 2000; Bunger Hills, Korotkevich 1958, Kutikova 1958a, 1958b; Thala Hills, Opalinski 1972; Wilkes Land, Thomas 1965, 1972, Dartnall 2005a; Molodezhnaya, Kutikova 1991; Antarctic Peninsula, Heywood 1977, Dartnall 1980, Kuczynski 1987; South Shetland Islands, de Paggi 1982, Kuczynski 1987, Janiec 1993, Janiec & Salwicka 1996; South Orkney Islands, Dartnall & Hollowday 1985; South Georgia, Dartnall & Heywood 1980, Dartnall & Hollowday 1985, Hansson et al. 1996, Dartnall 2005b; Macquarie Island, Dartnall 1993, Dartnall et al. 2005; Heard Island, Dartnall 1995a, 2003, 2006; Kerguelen, Russell 1959, Lair & Koste 1984, de Smet 2001.

Figure 1

Fig. 1 Rotifers previously never recorded on the Antarctic continent, including: Filinia sp. (length without seta: 130 μm); Kellicottia longispina (Kellicott) (length without spines: 170 μm); Notholca foliacea (Ehrenberg) (length without spines: 135 μm); Lepadella triptera (Ehrenberg) (length without spines: 75 μm); Brachionus urceolaris Müller; (length without spines: 175 μm); Keratella quadrata (Müller) (length without spines: 125 μm). Scale bar in each part represents 50 μm. Picture: Jan-Erik Svensson.

Figure 2

Fig. 2 Rotifer species previously recorded on the Antarctic continent, including Philodina alata Murray, 1910 (length 225 μm) and Keratella cochlearis Gosse (length without spines: 75 μm). Scale bar in each part represents 50 μm. Picture: Jan-Erik Svensson.

Figure 3

Fig. 3 A juvenile specimen of the calanoid copepod Boeckella sp. from Lake Hoare, McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica. Scale bar represents 500 μm. Picture: Jan-Erik Svensson.

Figure 4

Table II The distribution of calanoid copepods in Antarctic and sub-Antarctic freshwater lakes from 46–77°S. References: Lake Hoare, this study (2010); Prince Charles Mountains, Bayly & Burton 1993; Mac. Robertson Land, Bayly et al. 2003, Laybourn-Parry et al. 2006; Bunger Hills, Bayly 1994, Bayly et al. 2003; South Shetland Islands, Campos et al. 1978, Paggi 1983, Janiec 1993; South Orkney Islands, Heywood 1970; South Georgia, Mrazek 1892, Ekman 1905, Harding 1941, Hessen et al. 1989, Dartnall 2005b; Macquarie Island, Evans 1970, Dartnall et al. 2005; Heard Island, Bayly 1992, Dartnall 1995a, 2003, 2006; Kerguelen, Brady 1875, Brehm 1954, Smith & Sayers 1971, Gay 1981, 1982; Marion Island, Smith & Sayers 1971, Kok & Grobbelaar 1978; Iles Crozets, Dreux 1970, Smith & Sayers 1971.