OVERLOOKED AND UNDERSTUDIED: A SURVEY OF THE SMALL AND HIDDEN FRESHWATER INVERTEBRATE TAXA (PHYLUM ROTIFERA AND SUBPHYLUM CRUSTACEA)

During a 2018 parasitic crustacean survey of Oneida Lake, four adult female specimens of the Asiatic parasitic copepod Neoergasilus japonicus (Harada, 1930) were collected, one specimen was from a white sucker (Catostomus commersonii), another from a green sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus), and two from a bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus). These detections represent the first known occurrence of this non-native species in the state of New York, extends the easternmost distribution of this parasite over 400 miles, and now includes the Lake Ontario watershed for the first time. It is commonly believed that the international aquaculture industry and aquarium fish trade are the most likely vectors of dispersal for N. japonicus. Monitoring the spread of non-indigenous aquatic species is a crucial step towards the development of management plans and mitigation efforts with regards to the anthropogenic causes of dispersal, and fish parasites are no exception. Rotifers are among the most abundant zooplankters in lakes yet are often overlooked, and limited information is available on their seasonal and spatial distribution within the Laurentian Great Lakes. Herein, we present data on the seasonal succession of the Lake Ontario rotifer community, with samples collected from April to October 2018 as part of the bi-national inter-agency Cooperative Science and Monitoring Initiative. All sites had epilimnetic samples, but several sites included meta- and hypolimnetic samples. Prior to and during stratification, rotifers were most abundant in the epilimnion and differences in community composition with depth were minor. Mean epilimnetic rotifer density peaked in August (average 330 L-1) when surface water temperature was highest. Seasonal succession included a spring dominated by Synchaeta to the co-dominance of Conochilus and Keratella in early summer and the eventual dominance of Keratella during late summer through fall. Model selection found temperature and Bythotrephes to be key factors influencing overall rotifer abundance as well as genera-specific abundances. The best models for specific genera varied and included Secchi depth, chlorophyll, Cercopagis, Diacyclops, and Daphnia. Rotifers reached their highest proportion of total zooplankton epilimnetic biomass in early summer at 11%. Analysis of seasonal patterns in 2018 suggest rotifer data collected by the Great Lakes biological monitoring program in April and August represents spring and summer through fall communities but not the June community which was different from other seasons.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.S., Natural Resources

Level thesis:degree_level

Master of Science

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Natural Resources

Grantor

Cornell University

Year dc:date.issued

2024

Author dc:creator

• Marshall, Christopher

Committee member dc:contributor.committeemember

• Rudstam, Lars

• Biological monitoring
• Fish parasite
• Great Lakes
• Microzooplankton
• Non-native species
• Zooplankton

Language dc:language.iso

en

DOI

https://doi.org/10.7298/4mbc-y867

Dc Identifier Other

ProQuest Submission ID: 12042
ProQuest Publication ID: 31145553

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:ecommons.cornell.edu:1813/115846