An Illustrated Key to the Planktonic Rotifers of the Laurentian Great Lakes
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EPA- 905378003 / United S.11 Central Regional l..aboRltory E~ "->tection Agency 536 South Clark Street Region V Chicago, Illinois eoa>5 October 1977 ~ ~ AN ILLUSTRATED KEY TO THE PLANKTONIC ROTIFERS OF THE LAURENTIAN GREAT LAKES Do not WEED. This document should be retained in the EPA Region 5 Library Collection. --------- -- ----------- --~---- - AN ILLUSTRATED KEY TO THE PLANKTONIC ROTIFERS OF THE LAURENTIAN GREAT LAKES By Douglas W. Grothe and Donald R. Grothe* ~ ~ OCTOBER 19n U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region V Central Regional Laboratory, 536 South, Clark Street, Chicago, Illinois 60605 *12560 Marine Drive, St. Louis, Missouri 63141 DISCLAIMER This report has been reviewed by the Central Regional Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Chicago, Illinois, and approved for publication. This report does not signify that the contents necessarily reflect the views and policies of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, nor does mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation for use. CONTENTS Page Introduction • 1 - 2 Morphology . 5 - 6 Reproduction . .• . 7 Co 11 ecti on and Preservation " . • • 7 - 8 Taxonomic List of Planktonic Rotifers . 9 - 14 Key to Genera 15 -19 Key to Species 20 -47 Acknowledgements • 48 Bibliography ... 49 -53 INTRODUCJION Many articles have been published on the zooplankton of the Laurentian Great Lakes. Most of these studies however, have concentrated primarily on the larger zooplankters i.e. cladocerans and copepods. Relatively few comprehensive studies have been made of the rotifer fauna (Eddy, 1927; Ahlstrom, 1936; Nauwerck, 1972; Sternberger, 1974; Watson, 1974 and Bricker et al., 1977). The most recent of these studies (Nauwerck, 1972; Sternberger, 1974; Watson, 1974 and Bricker et al., 1977) have helped to fill many of the gaps that existed in some of the earlier investigations. The information contained in this text represents a compilation of data obtained from earlier taxonomic studies as well as data collected by the authors in 1975 and 1977. It is the first compre hensive report describing the planktonic or "open water" rotifers present in all the Great Lakes and is limited only to species identified within the past thirty-five years. Littoral species found in plankton samples as occasional migrants are also included in the text. These species are labeled to avoid confusion with planktonic forms. Lists of the common and uncommon or rare species and the respective lakes where they have been found appear in Tables 1 and 2, respectively. Organisms were placed in these categories based on observations by the authors and other taxonomists. It must be realized however, that spatial, seasonal, and yearly variations in species abundance and composition do occur in most natural aquatic systems. Consequently, some species that are common during one year or season may be uncommon or rare the next. Individuals interested in some of the ear1ier taxonomic studies should refer to the biblio graphy at the end of the text. 1 The taxonomic descriptions c9ncentrate primarily on external characteristics that are readily observable to aid the general biologist in keying to the genus and species level. These descrip tions are supplemented with drawings or photographs of the appropri ate species. The reader is encouraged to also use the taxonomic keys, many of which have excellent illustrations, cited at the end of the text. Although this key is written for the general taxonomist, we believe the photographs and drawings will also be of value to the specialist. Rotifer species previously unreported in the Great Lakes will undoubtedly continue to be discovered as the U.S. and Canadian governments, state agencies, and universities continue their investi gations of the Laurentian Great Lakes. 2 Table 1 Common planktonic rotifer species of the Laurentian Great Lakes1 Lake La Ke Lake Lake Lake Lake Species Superior Michigan Huron St. Clair Erie Ontario *Anuraeopsis fissa (Gosse) x Asplanahna herriaki de Guerne x Asplanahna priodonta Gosse x x x x x Braahionus angularis Gosse .x x x x *Braahionus bidentata Anderson x Braahionus budapestinensis Daday x x *Braahionus aalyaif7..orus Palla~ x x x x *Braahionus aaudatus Barrois &Daday x x *Braahionus havanaensis Rousselet y x *Braahionus uraeolaris Muller x x Chromogaster ovaZis (Bergendal) x x CoZlotheaa mutabilis (Hudson) x x x x x x CoZZotheaa peZagiaa (Rousselet) x ConoahiZoides dossuarius (Hudson) x x x x ConoahiZus uniaornis Rousselet x x x x x x EuahZanis diZatata Ehrenberg x FiZinia Zongiseta (Ehrenberg) x x x x x x Gastropus styZifer Imhof x x x x Hexarthra nrira (Hudson) x KeZZiaottia bostoniensis (Rousselet) x x KeZZiaottia longispina (Kellicott) x x x x x x KerateZZa aoahlearis (Gosse) x x x x x x KeratelZa aoahZearis f. hispida (Lauterborn) x x x x KerateZZa aoahZearis f. robusta (Lauterborn) x x KerateZZa aoahZearis f. teata (Gosse) x x x KerateZZa arassa Ahlstrom x x x x x x Kerate7..7..a ea.rZinae Ahlstrom x x x x x KerateZZa hiemaZis Carlin x x x KerateZZa irreguZaris (Lauterborn) x Kerate7..7..a quadrata (Muller) x x x x x x KerateZZa tauroaelhaZa Myers x KerateZZa vaZga Ehrenberg) x NothoZca aauminata (Ehrenbery) x x x x Notholaa foliacea (Ehrenberg x x x NothoZca Zaurentiae Sternberger x x x x x x NothoZca squarruZa (Muller) x x x x x PZoesoma hudsoni (Imhof) x x x x P!oesoma lentiaulare Herrick x x x x Ploesoma trunaat;wn (Levander) x x x x Polya.rthra doliahoptera Idelson x x x x Polya.r~hra euryptera Wierzejski x x x Polya.rthI"1 major Burckhardt x x x x x x Polyarthra remata Skorikov x x x x x Polyarthra vulgaris Carlin x x x x x x PomphoZyx suZcata Hudson x x Synchaeta asymmetrica Koch-Althaus x x Synchaeta lakowitaiana Lucks x x x Synchaeta oblonga Ehrenberg x x Synchaeta peatinata Ehrenberg x x x x Synchaeta stylata Wierzejski x x x v x Synchaeta sp. x x x x "x x Trichoceraa cyZinc.rica (:mhof) x x x x Trichocerca muZticrinis LKellicott) x x x x x ~richocerca porcellus (Gosse) v x x Trichocerca :ooussele~i (Voigt) x" x * Generally found in littoral or benth!c areas; only occasion3l migrant in plankton. 1 Species reported from harbor areas are not included. Table 2 Uncommon or rare planktonic rotifer species of the Laurentian Great Lakes1 Lake Lake Lake Lake Lake Lake Species Superior Michigan Huron St. Clair Erie Ontario Aspla:nchna herricki de Guerne x x Asplanahna priodonta Gosse x *Braahionus bidentata Anderson x *Braahionus caZyaifZorus Pallas x *Braahionus caudatus Barrois &Daday x x Braahionus diversiaornis (Daday) x *Brachionus havanaensis Rousselet x *Braahionus quaclridentatus Hermann x x *Brachionus rubens Ehrenberg x *Braahionus uraeoZaris Muller x *CephaZodella gibba (Ehrenberg) x x x Chromogaster ovalis (Bergendal) x x x CoZZotheaa pelagica (Rousselet) x ConochiZoides dossuarius (Hudson) x x ConochiZus hippocrepis (Schrank) x *EuchZanis defZexa Gosse x EuahZanis diZatata Ehrenberg x x *EuahZanis oropha Gosse x *EuchZanis parva Rousselet x *EuahZanis triquetra Ehrenberg x x x FiZinia terminaZis (Plate) x Gastropus styZifer Imhof x x Hexarthra mira (Hudson) x KeZZicottia bostoniensis (Rousselet) x KerateZZa cochZearis f. faluta Ahlstrom x KerateIZa aoahZearis f. hispida (Lauterborn) x KerateZZa cochZearis :. robusta (Lauterborn) x KerateZla cochZearis f. te~ta (Gosse) x x KerateZZa hiel"lalis Carlin x KerateZla tauroaephala Myers x •Leaane luna (Muller} x x x *Lepadella patella (Muller) x x *MonostyZa buZZa Gosse x *Monostyl.a ZlDUU'is (Ehrenberg) x x *MonostyZa quadridentata Ehrenberg x NothoZca aauminata (Ehrenberg} x x NothoZaa foliacea (Ehrenberg) x x NothoZaa squamula (Mulier} x *Platyias patulus (Muller) x x x Ploesoma hudsoni (Imhofl x Ploesoma tPUncatWI! (Levanderl x Polyarthra euryptera Wierzejski x Pcmpholyx sulaata Hudson x x x Synchaeta oblonga Ehrenberg x *TestudineZZa patina (Hermann) x *TZ'ichoaeraa lata (Jennings) x x Tzoichoceraa longiseta (Schrank) x x *Tzoichoaeraa mucosa (Stokes) x *Tzoichoceraa poraeZlus (Gosse} x Tzoiaboaeraa PUsiZZa (Jennings} x x x T!"Caboaeraa rousseleti (Voigt) x Tzoichocerca similis (Wierzejski) ,,v x *Tzoichocerca stylata (Gosse} x x *Tzoichotria tetraatis (Ehrenberg} x x Tylotrocha monopus (Jennings) x x * Generally found in littoral or benthic areas; only occasional migrant in plank.ton. l Species reported from harbor areas are not included. MORPHOLOGY Rotifers exhibit considerable variability in morphology and are represented by both loricate and illoricate fonns. The rotifer body can generally be differentiated into a head, trunk, and foot. Figure 1 illustrates some of the general morphological features characteristic of many species. The anterior end (head) contains a ciliated corona which functions primarily as a means of locomotion as well as for directing food into the mouth. A foot may be present in some species and absent in others. When a foot is present, it will often bear one or two toes. Several methods of feeding are displayed among rotifers. One of the most common methods involves the movement of the coronal cilia which create small water currents. These currents direct plankton and detritus into the mouth, whereupon particles of suitable size are ingested (Pennak, 1953). The food is then mechanically broken down by the mastax which contains jaw-like structures known as trophi. Some rotifers obtain their food by thrusting out their trophi which grasp the prey and directs the food into the stomach. A third method utilizes the trophi to pierce the prey and then a "sucking" mechanism to ingest the body contents. The type of trophi is an important taxonomic feature used to distinguish rotifer genera. Figure 2 illustrates the eight major types of trophi: malleate, virgate, forcipate, incudate, ramate, malleoramate, and uncinate. These structures can be observed by placing the specimen on a depression microscope slide containing a 10 percent solution of sodium hypochlorite (Chlorox bleach). The sodium hypoch1orite dissolves the soft parts leaving only the trophi for easy observation (Myers, 1937).