Diversity and seasonality of rotifers in a lower Shiwalik lake, India

Abstract

An attempt has been made to study the diversity and seasonality of rotifers inhabiting lake Mansar. A totalof 27 species of rotifers belonging to 14 families were identified from an year long study. Family Brachionidaeand Lecanidae were the dominant families with 7 and 6 species respectively. Most of the species werefound in the littoral zone of the lake. A well marked seasonality of their abundance was observed throughoutthe study period. These species were observed to have variable temperature preference and thus wereclassified as eurythermal, cold stenothermal and warm stenothermal.