The Invasion of the American Rotifer Kellicottia bostoniensis (Rousselet, 1908) (Rotifera: Brachionidae) into Vygozersky Reservoir (Republic of Karelia, Russia)

Abstract

The American rotifer Kellicottia bostoniensis (Rousselet, 1908) has been found in the Vygozersky Reservoir, which is currently its northernmost habitat in Russia. The Vygozersky Reservoir is located at 63° N and belongs to the White Sea catchment basin. It is a part of the White Sea–Baltic Canal. The first single individual of K. bostoniensis was noted in July 2007. In the summer of 2011, the rotifers were found in the pelagic zone of almost all lake regions, but were absent in the littoral zone and in the reservoir inflows. Rotifers occurred in all the areas of the reservoir in August 2017, and their abundance increased to 100–780 ind./m3. The abundance of aboriginal species Kellicottia longispina (Kellicott, 1879) was 5–76 times greater than that of alien rotifer species in dependence on the environmental conditions. The rotifer invasion into the Vygozersky Reservoir could have occurred by bird migrations or water transport. The reservoir is a key area along the White Sea–Baltic Sea bird migration routes. At the same time, the reservoir is a part of the White Sea–Baltic Canal with active water transport traffic.