Abstract
The results of a study on the littoral sand zoobenthos in the polluted Lake Nemi are reported and the role of this community in the evaluation of water quality in lakes is discussed. The fauna was composed of 65 taxa belonging to 15 zoological groups. Oligochaeta were dominant, followed by Diptera: Chironomidae, Crustacea and nematoda. Oligochaeta, including 21 taxa, had the maximum percentage occurrence in the discharge zones, with prevalence of species (Potamothrix heuscheri, Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri, Nais elinguis) very tolerant to organic enrichment. On the contrary, Chironomidae showed a depletion in the same zones, where we also observed the absence of Tanytarsini, typical of oligo-mesotrophic conditions, and the exclusive presence of Diptera: Psychodidae, considered as indicators of pollution. The community structure is related to the pollutional status at the sampling points, in a similar way as can be observed in profundal macrobenthos.
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