Bryozoans of Banyoles Lake (Ne Spain)
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BRYOZOANS OF BANYOLES LAKE (NE SPAIN) M. ~ieradevall'& J.M. ~us~uets~ 1. Departament d'Ecologia. Facultat de Biologia. Universitat de Barcelona. Avda. Diagonal 645, 08028 Barce- lona. Spain. 2. Ambit de Recerques del Berguedh. CI. Huelva 106, 08020 Barcelona. Spain. Keywords: Ectoprocta bryozoans, Phylactolaemata, statoblasts, Banyoles lake, Spain. ABSTRACT Data for bryozoan species from Banyoles lake (NE Spain) are presented. Three species have been recorded: Fredericella sultana, Lophopus crystallinus and Plurnatella repens, the first two for the first time in the Iberian peninsula. An examination of the F. sultana colony and the statoblast observations of L. crystallinus and P. repens with the scanning electron rnicroswpe made possible the identification. Details of the floatoblast structure are given. INTRODUCTION 1985) and sponges (TRAVESET, 1985), as well as other observations. Freshwater bryozoans had scarcely been studied As in the deep and sublittoral benthic samples in the Iberian peninsula. The published data re- of the Banyoles lake, bryozoan statoblasts often fers only to Plumatella repens and Cristatella mu- appear, and due to the general interest of this la- cedo in the Pyrenees (MARGALEF, 1948, 1952) and custrine area and to the lack of data on bryozoans the presence of Plumatella species (probably P. re- in Spain, we thought it interesting to make known pens or P. fungosa) in Graugés and Serret ponds the preliminary results obtained with the observa- (Berguedi, Catalonia) detected by BUSQUETS tion and identification of these material. (1988). On the other hand, Banyoles lake is the best known lake in Spain. Until the present, physico- chemical cycles, fito and zooplancton, bacteria1 MATERIAL AND METHODS populations and other aspects have been studied (e.g.: PLANAS, 1973; MIRACLE, 1976; GUERRERO et Study area al. 1978). Recently, one of the authors of this pa- per started working on benthic communities from Geographically, Banyoles lake is situated at sublittoral and deep zones (RIERADEVALL& P RAT, 42"7'N, 2O45'E and at 175 m above sea level. Maxi- in press); much is unknown about the littoral fau- mum length is 2130 m and its surface area is 118 na. A first attempt and a general description of the hm2; mean depth is 15 m and maximum depth littoral areas of the lake was made by MARGA- reaches 35-40 m or more (up to 130 m in one of LEF (1946). Furthermore, severa1 studies on some the areas with suspended sediment and subterra- zoological groups are relevant, mainly on snails nean water source). The lake is the biggest water (HAAS,1916; CASADEVALLet al., 1985; ALTABA, mass of a karstic system, which includes severa1 Limnetica, 6: 137-146 (1990) accompanying ponds, where the main entrance of O Asociación Española de Limnología. Madrid, Spain water is by means of subterranean inflow. As a re- sult of deep water inflow, permanent suspended dried and part was prepared by the critica1 point sediment is maintained in some deep parts of the method, and both were recovered with gold by lake and ponds. Water is rich in calcium and sul- sputtering. phate. The littoral zone (0-3 m) represents a thin strip, since the lake rapidly reaches 2-3 m deep. In outline, in the west and north areas of the lake RESULTS macrophitic vegetation (Phragmites, Schoenoplec- tus, etc.) and severa1 Myriophyllum meadows are Three species of freshwater bryozoans (Ecto- abundant, while in the east and south areas vege- procta Phylactolaemata) occur in Banyoles lake: tation is scarce and travertinic rocks are more Fredericella sultana, Lophopus crystallinus and important. Typical substrates in the littoral are Plumatella repens. This is the first record in the slopes formed by the roots and detritus, and sedi- Iberian peninsula for the former two although ment with a high percentage of coarse particles there is an unpublished observation of F. sultana and sizeable fragments of travertinic rocks. in Banyoles lake (OLIVELLA, unpubl. paper. 1974). Secchi disk depth ranged between 0,9 and 6,8 m, in the 1986-87 period. Minimum winter Class PHYLACTOLAEMATAAllman, 1856 temperature was 4" C, and in summer superficial Family Fredericellidae Hyatt, 1868 water reached 25 "C degrees. Conductivity and Fredericella sultana (Blumenbach, 1779) pH of superficial water are around 1300 yS.~m-~ F. sultana is a cosmopolitan species, distributed and 7-8,15 respectively. This is an oligotrophic from the Arctic to the Subantarctic regions, com- lake with low nutrient content, with a cosmopolitan monly found in many localities in Europe, North fito and zooplankton composition (PLANAS, 1973; and South America, Australia and New Zealand MIRACLE, 1976). However this data does not agree (LACOURT, 1968; BUSHNELL, 1973). This species is with the benthic profunda1 fauna, which reflects euriterm, which could explain its wide distribution mesotrophic conditions, due mainly to the lack of (it has been recorded at 3480 m), although the spe- oxygen near the sediment during the stratification cies grows better at 20 "C or less; it thus has the period (RIERADEVALL & PRAT, in press). advantage of being able to grow in winter, while other ectoproct species cannot. F. sultana is a typi- cal freshwater species, but can also live in brack- Methods ish waters (LACOURT, 1968). It is frequently found in rivers, oligotrophic and eutrophic lakes In the present study we have used two types of and reservoirs, where it normally inhabits the shal- material. Firstly, we collected live colonies of one low waters, although this species has been recor- of the identified species in severa1 sporadic and ded at 214 m deep (GEIMER & MASSARD,1986). random collections on the lake's shore. Colonies Dense growths of the species are found on logs of Fredericella were transported alive to the lab- and plants, on stones and many different kinds of oratory and the colonies were studied and photo- materials like plastics, bricks, roof tiles, wood graphied. Secondly, we collected statoblasts from fragments, trichoptera cases, etc. (BUSHNELL, the sediment of the sublittoral and deep parts of 1974; GEIMER & MASSARD,1986). F. sultana is fre- the lake as a part of an extensive study on the quently associated with other ectoproct species, benthic fauna of these areas. The sediment was sponges and hidrozoans. sampled with an Ekmann dredge, filtered «in In Banyoles lake, Fredericella sultana grows on situ», through a 150 ym net and fixed in 4 % for- the lower lateral parts of stones and travertinic malin. Then we sorted the sample under a stereo- rock fragments, on submerged parts and roots of microscope and preserved the material in 70 % riverine plants and on stems of Myriophyllum ver- alcohol. Statoblasts were measured with an optical ticillatum. We collected this species in the shallow microscope using an excavate slide. Dehydrated areas of the littoral, but it is possible that colonies material in absolute alcohol was observed with the can grow in deeper parts. We could not find, in scanning electron microscope (Cambridge S120 agreement with Olivella's observations, any colo- and Hitachi S2300); part of this material was air nies of other bryozoans, but more extensive and intensive survey is needed. OLIVELLA (1974) points mentous bacteria (Leptothrix), nematoda, small out the presence of F. sultana associated with the oligochaeta and hidracarina. The colonies are not sponge Ephydatia fluviatilis. very dense, with scatered zooids. Normally the Fredericella sultana colonies in the Banyoles end parts of the ectocist in each zooid, at the poly- lake are characterized by linear branching, simi- pide level, presented a thickening like a collar. lar to deer horns, with a cross section of 203 ym The most important characteristic of the polypide to 339 ym, maximum values in the intersection of is the circular lophophore (fig. 1), with 19 tenta- branches. l'he colony is attached to the substrate, cles, more or less equals in length (around with branches or individual zooids erect. The free 690 pm) and diameter (18 to 21 pm), with an inter- branches have a circular or lightly triangular sec- tentacular membrane in the lower parts of the tion; incrustant parts of the colonies have a clear tentacles. triangular section and are dorsally keeled. Colo- We have not found statoblasts (sessoblasts) of nies are often light brown-yellowish in colour. The this species in our samples of Abril and May 1989. chitinous cuticle, or ectocist, is fully covered by OLIVELLA (op. cit.) find two in samples taken on fine mineral particles, diatoms frustuls and differ- December but none in the succesive months. The ent epibionts like Vorticella, the ciliate Stentor, sessoblasts (lacking peripheral float cells) were diatoms like Gomphonema and Cymbella, fila- typically reniform. Figure 1.- Polypide of a Fredericella sultana colony with the characteristic circular lophophore open. Polipidio de una colonia de Fredericella sultana con el característico lofóforo circular abierto. Family Lophopodidae Rogick, 1935 Table 1.- Size measurements (in pm) of floatoblasts of Lo- Lophopus crystallinus (Pallas, 1768) phopus crystallinus and Plumatella repens. n = number of spe- cimens measured. This is an uncommon or rare species. In North Dimensiones (en pm) de los estatoblastos de L. crystallinus y America it is known from the Schuylkill and Illi- P. repens. n = número de ejemplares medidos. nois rivers and Lake Erie (LACOURT, 1968) and it has been recorded from scattered lentic and lotic Floatoblasts of Floatoblasts of habitats in Central Europe, Great Britain, Ire- Lophopus Plumatella land, southwestern Russia and Iran (BUSHNELL, crystallinus repem 1974). There have been no reports of this species (n=8) (n=24) in recent years, probably due to a regresion of Maximum length 1102 525 L. crystallinus in response to pollution (BUSHNELL, Minimum length 906 340 Average length 1017 453 op. cit.) or to the difficulty in distinguishing colo- Maximum width 659 381 nies -often small, scarce and easily mistaken with Minimum width 597 216 snail egg masses.