Abstract
Boeckella poopoensis Marsh, 1906 is the dominant copepod in saline lakes from northern Patagonia to southern Peru. It is a tolerant species, which has been registered at salinities between 20 and 90 g.L-1, and is important because it integrates the diet of flamingos and fishes of commercial and sport interest. The aims of this study were to analyze the characteristics of populations of B. poopoensis in the central region of Argentina and to establish their relationships with environmental parameters. Monthly samples during 2007 were taken in four temporary lakes of La Pampa province. Environmental parameters and density, size, biomass, number and size of eggs were determined. The salinity ranged between 13.38 and 32.90 g.L-1. In three lakes that had previously continuously contained water, B. poopoensis was registered throughout the whole study. In the fourth lake, which was filled in January, it was present only when salinity exceeded 15 g.L-1. The population of the lake that was filled differed from that of the other lakes in terms of the density and biomass of adults and copepodites. The number of ovigerous females represented a higher percentage of the population during the colonization of the lake that had been dried and these produced the highest number of eggs. In the three lakes in which B. poopoensis was always recorded, its characteristics were more influenced by the availability of food than by temperature or salinity. It was found that the strategies of the species vary throughout the hydroperiod; at the beginning, thrives when the salinity rises and impedes the presence of less tolerant species. At this point, the production of relatively small eggs is high, allowing rapid colonization. When the lakes become relatively stable, B. poopoensis allocates more energy to reach larger sizes and although egg production is not so high, they are larger, allowing it to maintain stable populations.
Highlights
Boeckella poopoensis Marsh, 1906, is one of the predominant halophilic species, which has been registered in lakes with salinities between 20 and 90 g.L-1 (Hurlbert et al 1984, 1986, Bayly 1993, Williams et al 1995; Zuniga et al 1999; Acosta et al 2003, De los Rıos & Crespo 2004, De los Rıos 2005, Locascio de Mitrovich et al 2005)
Boeckella poopoensis has a very wide geographical distribution, from the north of the Patagonian plateau, in Argentina and Chile, to the south of Peru (Menu-Marque et al 2000). Since it is part of the diet of the flamingo Phoenicopterus chilensis Molina, 1782 (Locascio de Mitrovich et al 2005, Battauz et al 2013), De los Rıos-Escalante (2010) proposed that the migration of these birds might have contributed to the wide distribution of this copepod in the South American saline ecosystems
Between January and December 2007, monthly samples were taken in four shallow lakes located in different regions of the province of La Pampa, Argentina (Figure 1): Chadilauquen (Cha) (64°190W, 35°240S), San Jose (SJ) (63°550W, 36°210S), Utracan (Ut) (64°36’W, 37°17’S) and El Carancho (EC) (65°030W, 37° 270S)
Summary
In South America, shallow temporary lakes are abundant and are located mainly in tropical and subtropical latitudes of the Andes (Hurlbert et al 1986, Williams et al 1995, De los Rıos & Crespo 2004), in the center and northwest of the Pampa Plains (Quiros 1997) and in the Patagonian plateau (Soto et al 1994, Campos et al 1996).The zooplankton structure of these lakes is regulated mainly by salinity (De los Rıos & Crespo 2004, De los Rıos 2005, Vignatti 2011) and they have low species richness (De los Rıos-Escalante 2010, Vignatti 2011). Boeckella poopoensis Marsh, 1906, is one of the predominant halophilic species, which has been registered in lakes with salinities between 20 and 90 g.L-1 (Hurlbert et al 1984, 1986, Bayly 1993, Williams et al 1995; Zuniga et al 1999; Acosta et al 2003, De los Rıos & Crespo 2004, De los Rıos 2005, Locascio de Mitrovich et al 2005). Boeckella poopoensis has a very wide geographical distribution, from the north of the Patagonian plateau, in Argentina and Chile, to the south of Peru (Menu-Marque et al 2000) Since it is part of the diet of the flamingo Phoenicopterus chilensis Molina, 1782 (Locascio de Mitrovich et al 2005, Battauz et al 2013), De los Rıos-Escalante (2010) proposed that the migration of these birds might have contributed to the wide distribution of this copepod in the South American saline ecosystems
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