Is a biogeography of freshwater nematodes possible?

Abstract

An attempt was made to detect some possible biogeographic patterns in the distribution of freshwater nematodes. The literature concerning 14 geographic areas (in Eurasia, Africa and America) and seven well studied lakes was examined. Notwithstanding the ubiquity of most freshwater nematodes, some distributional patterns emerge from a multidimensional analysis. Examining the lakes only, nematodes in Lake Baikal appear markedly different from the other lacustrine nematodes from other parts of the world. It is possible to conclude: i) that freshwater nematodes communities show some difference at the continental level only; and ii) that the freshwater nematode biota is divided into two parts with the Lake Baikal community as one part, and the rest of the world community as the other.