Chertoprud E.S.1*, Rak A.N.2, Novichkova A.A.2, Vorobjeva L.V.3, Garibian P.G.1, Dadykin I.A.1 2025. Pattens in diversity and structure of planktonic and benthic crustacean assemblages from mountain lakes: case of the North Caucasus // Invert. Zool. Vol.22. No.4. P.643–661 [in English].
1 A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky Prospect 33, Moscow 119071 Russia.
2 Biological Faculty, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory, Moscow 119234 Russia.
3 Russian Federal Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography, Okruzhnoy Proezd, 19, Moscow 105187 Russia.
* Corresponding author
Elena Chertoprud: horsax@yandex.ru, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9874-1610
Anna Rak: rakannabio@yandex.ru, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-4534-2968
Anna Novichkova: anna.hydro@gmail.com, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1725-451X
Lada Vorobjeva: vorobjeva.lada@yandex.ru, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0992-8262
Petr Garibian: petr.garibyan21@mail.ru, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4505-3133
Ivan Dadykin: ivan.dadykin@gmail.com, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7356-5884
doi: 10.15298/invertzool.22.4.09
ABSTRACT: The aquatic invertebrates inhabiting highland water bodies of the Caucasus Mountains live in harsh conditions determined by their hydrology and water chemistry, as well as regional climate. Despite this, mountain lakes are inhabited by diverse planktonic and benthic fauna. While the macrozoobenthos of watercourses in mountainous areas has been studied relatively adequately, zooplankton and meiobenthos remain almost unexplored. The objective of the present study was to characterise the species richness and structure of assemblages of planktonic and benthic crustaceans (Cladocera, Anostraca, Copepoda and Ostracoda) in mountain lakes of the North Caucasus and to identify the environmental factors determining their formation. The material was investigated by classical taxonomic and faunistic methods. The statistical analysis was conducted using the Bray-Curtis similarity index, linear modelling (DistLM), distance-based redundancy analysis (dbRDA) and the ANOSIM. A total of 12 species of Cladocera, 18 Copepoda, a single taxon of Anostraca, and five species of Ostracoda were found in the studied mountain lakes. Of these, 13 crustacean species were recorded for the first time in mountain water bodies of the North Caucasus. The ostracod Candona sanociensi Sywula, 1971 is the first record for Russia, while the fairy shrimp Chirocephalus sp. likely represents an undescribed species new for science. Most crustacean species (75% of the species richness) have wide, or even cosmopolitan ranges. Only three species, Paracyclops imminutus Kiefer, 1929, Bryocamptus echinatus (Mrázek, 1893) and Candona sanociensi, are characteristic of West Eurasia. Two taxa, Ilyocryptus cf. raridentatus Smirnov, 1989 and Bryocamptus zschokkei caucasicus Borutzky, 1960, are mainly distributed in East Asia, while one, Acanthocyclops venustus (Norman et Scott T., 1906), is widespread in the Arctic. Species richness of the main taxonomic groups of the crustaceans was shown to vary in water bodies of different altitudinal belts and valleys with different slope exposures. The water bodies located in the mild climate of foothills and mountain valleys with eastern exposure had the most diverse fauna. We characterised the structure of crustacean assemblages in high mountain water bodies and showed that the key factors determining the variability of zooplankton and meiobenthos abundance and composition were the following: altitude, slope exposure and macrophyte composition. The latter factor was the most significant and explained 66% and 49% of the variation in zooplankton and meiobenthos assemblages, respectively. Potential similarity between the drivers of formation of aquatic invertebrate communities in alpine and Arctic tundra lakes were discussed.
KEY WORDS: species richness, Cladocera, Copepoda, Anostraca, Ostracoda, environmental factors.