Additions to the Rotifer Fauna of Central Europe: New Records of Rare Species from Austria
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Arch. Hydrobiol. Suppl. 139/3, Monogr. Stud., p. 433-448, März 2003 Additions to the rotifer fauna of Central Europe: New records of rare species from Austria By CHRISTIAN D. JERSABEK, ROBERT SCHABETSBERGER, Salzburg and ROSWITHA FRESNER, Klagenfurt with 8 figures Abstract: Notable records of rare Rotifera are presented and their geographieal distribution, autecology, and taxonomy is diseussed. All species are new to Austria, others are new to Europe or the Palaearetic. Numerous records of Cephalodella edax and Synchaeta verrucosa indicate a wider distribution of these little known pelagic species, while findings of Ascomorpha tundisii, Cephalodella evabroedae and Lecane elegans reveal highly disjunct distributional patterns. Introduction Research on taxonomy and biology of Rotifera in Austria was largely determined by the efforts of JOSEF DONNER (1909-1989) and AGNES RUTTNER-KoLISKO (1911-1991) (see KOSTE (1978 a) for references), so that the rotifer fauna of Austria may be considered relatively weIl explored. However, there has been a strong foeus on benthie river habitats (DONNER 1964, 1970, 1972, 1978; SCHMID ARAYA 1995) and soil environments (DONNER 1951, 1954, 1965), whereas comparatively little is known of pelagie and littoral taxoeoenosis in lentic waters (e.g., RUTTNER 1938; LÖFFLER 1959; NAIDENOW & WAWRIK 1984; JERSABEK 1995). Even though the prealpine lakes of Austria have attracted eonsiderable attention by limnologists, most planktological studies had 110 specifie taxonomie or biogeographical foeus. Thus, as supported by the eurrent species records from Austria, our knowledge of rotifer diversity is still far from being complete even in "well-explored" regions of Western Europe, where the study of rotifers began. Material and methods Plankton sampies from lakes were collected on a monthly to quarterly basis using a 30 um closing net, fixed by dropwise addition of formaldehyde (final eoncentration 2 %) and preserved in 5 % formaldehyde. On eaeh occasion a total volume of about 70 to 500 1 was filtered. In addition a second set of samples was examined alive within a few hours after sampling. Drawings and measurements were made at 500 to 1250 X magnifieation, using a Leitz-Laborlux D microscope fitted with a camera lucida. Trophi were extraeted by dissolving tissues using a strong bleach (NaOCl). Seanning electron microscopy (SEM) was performed with a CAMBRIDGE Stereosean 250 eleetron microscope on rotifer trophi proeessed following DE SMET (1998). 435 434 eh. D. Jersabek et al. Rare Rotifera frorn Austria Results Cephalodella edax HOLLOWDAY, 1993 (Figs. 1, 2) Material: numerous specimens from lakes in the Lake District "Salzkammergut" (Attersee, Traunsee, Wolfgangsee), and in the province of Salzburg (Obertrumer See, Zeller See). Morphology: Overall morphology and trophi structure generally agree with the description by HOLLOWDAY (1993). In addition, the following was noted: lorica soft, distinct plates on trunk consist of one ventral and two lateral pieces. Base of toes in dorsal/ventral view unilaterally swollen (Fig. 1 C). Vitellarium with 8 nuclei. Gastric glands rounded, of normal size; one pair of slender pedal glands, slightly shorter than foot. Manubria cornparatively stout, shorter than in type specimens (55-58 % vs 80 % trophus length); of irregular shape, with one median and one terminal opening. These are set at different angles so that only one can be seen at a time (Fig. 2 C, D). Fulcrum slender, slightly widened proximally in lateral view (Fig. 1 G).Rami tips rounded, with a number of soft, minute teeth which are almost indiscemible by light microscopy (Fig. 2 B, C). Dorsal expansions of rami with tooth-like "sharp edge" apically (Figs. 1 F, 2 B). Measurements (um), n == 13: Totallength: 117-150; toe length: 16.5-20; trophi: 19-21; manubrium: 11-11.5; ramus 9-10; fulcrurn: 10.5-11; uncus: 5-5.5; sub itaneous egg (deposited in Uroglena): 31. Occurrence and distribution: Epiplanktonic parasite within algal colonies. Restricted to the ehrysophyte Uroglena volvox EHRENBERG. It is the fifth species eurrently known to parasitize eolonies of motile plankton algae such as Volvox or Uroglena (for review of parasitic rotifers see MAY 1989). Hitherto only known Fig.2. Cephalodella edax - A: trophus, ventral; B: rami, :,entral; C?: ri~ht ramus and manubrium, ventral; D: manubrium, lateral; enlarged terminal end of manubrium inserted: Traunsee, Upper Austria. from two lakes of the English Lake District (HOLLOWDAY 1993). Present records are from several prealpine lakes and one pond in Austria, and two small lakes in southern Germany. Whole mounts of specimens from Pennsylvania, USA, depos ited sub "Proales sp. (?)" (det. & prep.: F. J. MYERS 1939) in the mieroslide colleetion of the Aeademy of Natural Seiences of Philadelphia (Cat. Nos. 1756, 1757), probably belong to C. edax (JERsABEK & SEGERS, in prep.). Zoogeography: Austria (first record); Germany (first record); Great Britain (HOLLOWDAY 1993); USA (?). Auteeology: Oecurs in lakes and ponds spanning a wide range of size and trophie eonditions. Found in ultraoligotrophie to oligotrophie (Attersee, Wolfgang see Traunsee Zeller See) and mesotrophic lakes (Obertrumer See) and one Fig, 1. Cephalodella edax - A: swimming animal, lateral; B: toe, lateral; C: toes, dorsal; D: me~otrophic p~nd (Niedemsill) in Austria (this study), to eutrophie conditions ~n trophus, dorsal; E: manubrium, different views; F: incus (pressed), dorsal; G: fulcrurn, lateral; England (Blelham Tarn, Esthwaite Water; HOLLOWDAY 1993) and Bavana Wolfgangsee, Salzburg. Bars: 50 um (A), 10 11m (B-G). 436 eh. D. Jersabek et al. Rare Rotifera frorn Austria 437 (Höglwörther See, Abtsdorfer See). The species was restricted to the upper water layers during the time of stable stratification from June to September. Maximum individual densities ranged from 0.3-21.7 ind. 1-1 in the different lakes, but densities > 100 ind. 1-1 were observed in the Austrian ponds at times of high Uroglena-densities. We observed that the species occasionally swims freely, either in search of a new algal host or following disturbance by sampling activity. Once separated from its host, C. edax may swim very fast, probably to increase encounter probability with another host-colony. It is likely that the rotifer has to change the host from time to time, as infested colonies soon are massively affected by the ravenous feeding of the parasite. Single amictic eggs deposited within the algal colony were never encountered together with a female, suggesting that these leave the host in favour of the offspring. However, as HOLLOWDAY (1993) already Fig. 3.. Cephalodella evabroedae - A: manubriurn, la pointed out, this could simply be explained by colony division of Uroglena as weIl, teral; B: fulcrum, frontal; C: fulcrurn, lateral; D: uncus, apical; E: ramus, ventral; F: eyes; G: foot and toes, leaving the egg in one half and the female in the other. We noted a strong dorsal; Traunsee, Upper Austria. Bars: 25 um (G), 10 irregularity in the yearly appearance of the species. It may be abundant in one J.lrn (A-E). year, but absent in the other. This is in accordance with observations from British habitats (HOLLOWDAY 1993). Feeds on flagellates which it picks out singly from the eolonial eell aggregate. occurred in shallow alkaline pools and a small lake (DE SMET 1988, 1993). It has T: 10.0-21.7 °C; pH: 7.6-8.7; E.C. 25°C: 170-538 JlS ern-I; er 0.3-130 mg 1-1; since been reported from a high altitude lake in the Bolivian Andes (Lake Kothia, P-tot: 1.0-70.0 ug 1-1. approx. 4500m a.s.l.) by SEGERS et al. (1994). The insufficiently illustrated record Comment: Considering the frequency of C. edax in our samples it seems of "Cephalodella sp. I" from the subantaretic Macquarie Island (DARTNALL 1993, surprising that this species was diseovered only reeently and was not yet known Fig. IOd, e) possibly refers to C. evabroedae as weIl, and should be confirmed. The from continental Europe. We assurne that this small, inconspieuous animal was present find in an alkaline prealpine lake is the first from eontinental Europe. frequently overlooked in routine plankton collections, or regarded as "just another Zoogeography (Fig. 8): Austria (first record); Bolivia (SEGERS et al. 1994); tyehoplanktonic Cephalodella", Samples have to be studied in vivo to relate this Norway, Svalbard Archipelago (DE SMET 1988, 1993); Macquarie Island, Aus parasitic animal to its proper habitat as Uroglena-colonies quiekly disintegrate tralia (DARTNALL 1993) (?). upon preservation. Autecology: Previous reeords suggest a eold-stenothermie nature ofthis species. It was found in submerged mosses, among filamentous algae, and oeeasionally in the plankton (T: 4.5-6.5 °C; pR: 8.2-9.6; E.C. 25°C: 165-544 jlS cm-\ er. 14 Cephalodella evabroedae DE SMET, 1988 (Fig. 3) 63 mg 1-1) (DE SMET 1988, 1993). Dur record was at similar ecological eonditions: Material: one specimen from Traunsee, Upper Austria, January 1998 (423 m a.s.l., T: 4.1 °C; pR: 8.3; E.C. 25°C: 350 JlS cm"; er: 93 mg 1-1; P-tot: 9.1 ug 1-1; Chl-a: 13°47'38" E, 47°48'50" N). 0.56 ug 1-1. Morphology: Very distinct by the large head, and the short, broad foot bearing Comment: Including the uncertain subantaretie record, the discontinuous range characteristically shaped stout toes (Fig. 3 G), and the unique, robust trophus of C. evabroedae covers 1330 of latitude and 2270 of longitude, with at least 3000 (Fig. 3 A-E). Fulcrum very broad in lateral view, manubria with crutehed dorsal km separating single oecurrences (Fig. 8). This broad disjunction elearly indieates projeetion. Rami with rod-like structure and teeth above elevated ridge (prepara a high ability of long-distanee dispersal, as it seems unlikely that this unmistak tion artefaet?). In contrast to the type specimens, based on preserved material able, big speeies has been frequently overlooked.