Zooplankton Fauna of Tahtakopru Dam Lake (Gaziantep)

Abstract

A total of 44 taxa consisting of 26 Rotifera, 10 Cladocera and 8 Copepoda, were identified during the study performed in the Tahtakopru Dam Lake.

Asplanchna girodi, Brachionus calyciflorus, B. angularis, Polyarthra vulgaris, Pompholyx sulcata, Bosmina longirostris and Leydigia leydigi were found in every month throughout the year.

In terms of the species diversity, it was found that the richest months were March and May with 30 species and the second richest month was July with 23 species. 67.83% of the total zooplankton was rotifers, 23.59% was cladoceran and 8.57% was copepods. Rotifera was found mostly in September (total 696769 individualm^-3), rarely in June (total 35241 individual m^-3), Cladocera was abundant in September (total 230368 individual m^-3 ) and rare in March (total 10575 individual m^-3), and Copepoda was abundant in July (total 435066 individual m^-3 ) and rare in December (total 8644 individual m^-3).

P. vulgaris was the most frequently found rotifer species, being the most abundant in September, had different amounts of abundance in March, May, July, November and February. B. longirostris and L. leydigi were the most frequently found cladocer species, the most abundant in September, and abundant in April, November and January. Naupli was the mostly increased throughout the year, and has been found to be abundant for four times a year.

Keywords: Zooplankton, rotifers, cladocerans, copepods, Tahtakopru Dam