L. Forró szerk.: Miscellanea Zoologica Hungarica 10. 1995 (Budapest, 1995)
Gulyás, P.: Rotatoria and Crustacea plankton of the River Danube between Bratislava and Budapest
MISCELLANEA ZOOLOGICA HUNGARICA Tomus 10. 1995 p. 7-19 Rotatoria and Crustacea plankton of the River Danube between Bratislava and Budapest by P. Gulyás (Received April 21,1995) Abstract: This paper summarizes the results of the Rotatoria, Cladocera and Copepoda surveys on the River Danube between Bratislava and Budapest in the period of 1992-1994. Qualitative and quantitative Zooplankton investigation was conducted with bi-weekly sampling frequency. Analysis is given on the temporal and spatial changes of the species composition and individual abundances of the populations. During these investigations the presence of some 148 Rotatoria and Crustacea species were revealed. Key words: River Danube, Rotatoria, Cladocera Copepoda, qualitative, quantitative investigations Literature survey The first investigations of Rotatoria fauna on this particular Danube section were conducted in 1944, when 46 species and forms belonging to 16 genera were described (Woynarovich 1944). More detailed recording of the mesofauna has started in 1958 headed by Dudich (1967). In the framework of this study Kertész conducted a year-long survey at 12 points of the Hungarian Danube section with regards to the Rotatoria communities. In addition to these, he conducted longitudinal and daily investigations at the area of Budapest. These studies revealed the presence of 129 species belonging to 27 genera (Kertész 1963, 1967). Czechoslovakian researchers started to investigate the Rotatoria and Crustacea communities at this particular Danube section only from the middle sixties. Detailed analyses were presented on the temporal and spatial changes of the species composition and abundance of the populations. Many new Crustacea species were described for the Danube (Ertl 1965, Vranovszky 1969, 1972, 1974a, b, 1978, 1985, 1994). Studies of the Crustacea plankton were much more detailed. Ponyi (1962) has investigated this particular river section, that was followed by a summarizing volume edited by Liepolt (1967). The aim of this book was to summarize the state-of-the-research at that time. A new period has started in the investigation of the Crustacea fauna of the Danube and its tributaries when Bothár joined to the research. In 1967-68 she investigated Cladocera and Copepoda communities of the Danube between the 1695-1656 rkms, in 1976 between 1707-1656 rkm at 3-3 sampling points monthly. She found at the former river section 20 Cladocera and 7 Copepoda species, while on the latter one 25 Cladocera and 14 Copepoda (Bothár 1978-79). She has conducted more frequent sampling at the 1669 rkm section near Göd, where the qualitative and quantitative composition of Entomostraca fauna were investigated between 1965-85 at weekly intervals. In summarizing her findings, she concluded that on this particular river section altogether 52 Cladocera and 26 Copepoda species were identified. From the Hungarian section of the watershed of the River Danube she identified
