A report on Lecanidae (Rotifera: Monogononta) from Andhra Pradesh, India, including six new
distribution records with notes on their contemporary taxonomic nomenclature
S.Z. Siddiqi1 & M. Karuthapandi 2
1,2 Zoological Survey of India, Freshwater
Biological Regional Centre, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh 500048, India
1 szsiddiqi_hyd@yahoo.co.in (corresponding author), 2 kpandi83@gmail.com
doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.11609/JoTT.o3095.4556-61 | ZooBank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:5888AD85-A94A-46F8-B578-CB9CF3C89BB0
Editor: Kalpana Pai, University of Pune, Pune, India Dateof publication: 26 July 2013 (online & print)
Manuscript details: Ms #
o3095 | Received 11 February 2012| Final received 28 June 2013 | Finally
accepted 02 July 2013
Citation: Siddiqi, S.Z.
& M. Karuthapandi (2013). A report on Lecanidae (Rotifera: Monogononta) from Andhra Pradesh, India, including six new
distribution records with notes on their contemporary taxonomic nomenclature. Journal
of Threatened Taxa 5(11): 4556–4561; http://dx.doi.org/10.11609/JoTT.o3095.4556-61
Copyright: © Siddiqi& Karuthapandi 2013. Creative
Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. JoTT allows unrestricted use of this article in any medium,
reproduction and distribution by providing adequate credit to the authors and
the source of publication.
Funding: The
junior author (MK) is supported by Research Fellowship (SRF) through ZSI by MoEF, New Delhi.
Competing Interest: None.
Acknowledgements:The authors are grateful to Dr. K. Venkatraman,
Scientist G and Director, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata for
encouragement, infrastructural facilities, fellowship(KP) and to fellow scientists/staffs for cooperation.
Abstract: The Lecane-species complex
taxonomy the world over, witnessed a state of flux, causing confusion and
controversies, among world’s taxonomists over the treatment of various
subgenera, taxa and sub and or infraspecific categories
of the species rich genus Lecane Nitzsch 1827, on the basis of structure/shape of key,
morphological features like foot/toes, lorica, etc.
The taxonomic scenario in India, relying heavily on the classical, divergent
taxonomic approaches presented a picture of more chaos/confusion, following
poor accessibility to contemporary revisionary studies until the recent past.
Despite revisionary studies across the world, a few notable Indian studies
continued to be burdened with old nomenclature. This short communication reports for the
first time ever, 33 valid species of lecanid rotifers
(Lecanidae), including six new distributional records
from Greater Hyderabad region and the entire state of Andhra Pradesh too with
comments on their current nomenclature. Further, limnobiological correlation between
five physicochemical parameters and rotifer associations revealed, L. bulla,L. closterocerca, L. hamata,
L. ludwigi, L. lunaand L. papuana as euryokousspecies, showing tolerance to a wide range of abiotic factors and habitats too.
Keywords: Euryokous, morphological
variant, Lecanid taxonomy, limnologicalindicator and taxa.
For images, tables -- click here
Taxonomy of rotifers, the
world over, in particular lecanid rotifers too,
continued to remain in a state of flux in view of high species diversity,
plasticity, regional and /or seasonal variability and geographic endemicity. warrantingglobal revisionary studies on many groups/families. In fact the taxonomy of
ubiquitous, bio-geographically significant Lecanespecies-complex was in a state of flux for decades, and indeed a major irritant
to taxonomists world wide, following differences, until the mid nineties; Segers (1995) finally setting to rest all prevailing
confusions/ controversies, assigning all species under a single genus Lecane Nitzsch,
1827. The Indian scenario on lecanid taxonomy was no different and the confusion continued
to prevail until the beginning of the century, ironically enough for lack of
accessibility to standard world revisionary studies/literature and serious
comprehensive Indian studies on the groups, despite its abundance and distinct
tropical characteristics (Sharma 1996).
Notable
pioneering taxonomic studies on lecanid rotifer from
Andhra Pradesh were initiated by Dhanapathi (1976a)
recording two new species, Lecane bidentata and L. donnerianus,including five first distribution reports. Incidentally, soon he also reported an othernew taxon, Lecane easwari,from West Godavari and Krishna districts, Andhra Pradesh Dhanapathi(1976b). About the same time, Rao & Mohan (1977)
reported Monostyla obtusaMurray, 1913, from Municipal tank, Mudasarlova, Visakhapatanam, and later seven new distribution records (Rao & Mohan 1982). Arshaduddin & Khan (1991) reported 40
species of rotifers, including 10 species under the genus Lecane Nitzsch, 1827 from organically polluted temporary
seasonal ponds from Osmania University, Jamia Osmania
campus, Hyderabad, assigning them saprobic values
following Sladecek (1983). Surprisingly enough, there
are no comprehensive taxonomic studies on the family Lecanidaefrom the state, indeed Indian region too, save one by Sharma (1996) reporting
74 species of the genus Lecane from India. The
actual number, including infraspecific varieties, may
be marginally higher, going by recently published reports (Sharma 2007; Sharma
& Sharma 2010, 2011). This short communication reports 20 species
from Greater Hyderabad region, and the state, upgrading the tally to 33 species
of lecanid rotifers, includingsix new distribution records from the state of Andhra Pradesh.
Material and Methods
A brief description of the
three study sites follows. Site 1, a masonry pond (hereafter designated as MP),
17021’28”N & 78023’32”E, area 200m2, rain
fed, walled on three sides, a natural depression in undulating terrain, located
at Attapur, Rajendranagar,
Hyderabad, was chosen for its proximity, size and considerable (rainwater)
retention period, and habitat variability. Site 2 Landscape Garden Pond, Osmania University, Hyderabad, abbreviated
as LGP, 17025’02”N
and 78031’52”E, rain fed, roughly square-shaped, natural depression,
in undulating terrain, has an area (0.44km2), remains dry for over
8–9 months, save during the south-west monsoons (July–September
2011) and a month or two beyond. The site was chosen as previous studies recorded rich rotifer diversity
and therefore served as a comparable study. Site 3 Bandakum cheruvu, Bandakum Village, Pattancheruvu, Medak, shortened
as BP, 17030’44”N & 78019’11”E, located in mildly
undulating terrain, is a shallow habitat, depth (1.5–2 m), area 1.58km2,
receives inflows from precipitation and a mild stream located upwards. Of the three pond habitats, the masonry
pond has a higher level of water retention period, following rock-cemented
boundaries and no free out flows, high macrophyteinfestations albeit low water levels until January 2012. There are no
significant geomorphic differences in the three ponds but were chosen for
proximity, accessibility and academic necessity (species richness, vis-à-vis
short life cycle) and potential for aquatic ecological research.
The physical factors like
temperature, pH, electrical conductivity and total dissolved solids were
estimated in situ with the help of electronic dip testers (Hanna make pH ep, dip C, dip D, etc.) while samples for dissolved oxygen
(200ml BOD, glass bottles) were Winklerized in the
field. Surface water samples were
collected in wide mouth PVC containers (Tarsonsbottles with plugs and screw cap) for estimations of various physicochemical
parameters. The dissolved oxygen was analyzed titrimetrically,
while total alkalinity (OR-AIK-01), hardness (OR-TH-01), chloride (OR-Cl-01),
calcium (OR-Ca-01), magnesium and inorganic plant nutrients - orthophosphate
(P-PO4, OR-P-01) nitrogen-nitrate (N-NO2, OR-NO2-01),
nitrogen - nitrite (N-NO3, OR-NO3-01) and ammonical nitrogen (N-NH3, OR-NH3-01)
analyzed using Orlab Instruments Pvt. Ltd. field
kits, following standard limnological works/texts
(Lind 1979; Wetzel & Likens 2000). Plankton samples from surface waters (littoral region) were collected by
towing long handled plankton net (No 25. 64µm mesh size) and wading through
waist deep shallow water, where feasible. 100ml plankton sample in PVC
containers, preserved in 4% neutralized formalin, (Registration numbers
FBRC/ZSI/UN: 6079-6714), stained in eosin ink, manually sorted and observed under
a Nikon 80i light microscope and digitally photographed. Standard regional
taxonomic works (Patil & Gouder1989; Battish 1992; Dhanapathi2000) and others were used for confirming taxonomic identity and contemporary
status (Segers 1995 & 2007).
Results and Discussions
The present study revealed
high species richness in the genus Lecane, 20
species to be precise, including six new distributional records from the
region. Lecanespecies like L. aculeata (Jakubski,
1912), L. haliclysta Harring& Myers, 1926, L. furcata (Murray, 1913), L.pawlowskii Wulfert,
1966, L. pyriformis (Daday,
1905), and L. ruttneri (Hauer,
1938) form new distribution records from the region (Images 1–6). It
further documents the range of values of physicochemical parameters and
ecological conditions of the ponds, reiterating the ecological importance of
the littoral regions and its continued under estimation in Indian studies,
despite its faunistic richness and biogeographic
significance (Segers et al. 1994). An exhaustive updated
list of valid species of highly plastic, species-rich genus Lecanerecorded from Andhra Pradesh, including new taxa and infraspecificvarieties recorded to date, and their present taxonomic status is appended, for
the benefit of Indian researchers (after Segers 1995,
2007).
The two new taxa reported by Dhanapathi (1976a) viz. Lecane bidentata and Lecane donnerianus are now indeed junior synonyms of L.batillifer (Murray, 1913) and L. donneri Chengalath & Mulamoottil, 1974; Segers (2007)
adding L. bidentata as species enquirendae. Further, of the five new distribution records reported then (Dhanapathy 1976), Monostyla styrax Harring & Myers, 1926 is subsumed as L. styrax(Harring & Myers, 1926) and M. tethis is a synonym of L. furcata(Murray, 1913). While Monostyla obtusaMurray, 1913, reported by Rao & Mohan (1977) is Lecane obtusa(Murray, 1913), the current taxonomic replacements of some of the other seven (Rao & Mohan 1982) are as under: Lecane acanthinula (Hauer,
1938) (=L. acronycha Harring& Myers, 1926), L. curvicornis (Murray,
1913) (= L. curvicornis var. padespares (Arora, 1963), L.
bulla (Gosse, 1851) [=Monostyla bulla(Gosse, 1851)], L. closterocerca (Schmarda, 1859) [=Monostyla closterocerca Schmarda,
1859], L. lunaris Ehrenberg, 1832 [= Monostyla lunarisEhrenberg, 1832] and L. unguitata (Fadeev, 1925) [=Monostyla unguitata ((Fadeev,
1925)] Lecane ploensis(Voigt, 1902) is now a junior synonym of L. pideis(Harring & Myers, 1926) and L. ohioensis Herrick, 1885 has been subsumed by L. obtusa (Murray, 1913). (Table 1).
The short duration seasonal
studies revealed 16 (MP), 09 (LGP), and 15 spp. (BGP) respectively, of genus Lecane with masonry pond collections
exhibiting relatively high species richness (18 spp.), perhaps more, following
relatively higher habitat heterogeneity, nutrient loading, from surface
runoffs, and a higher undisturbed retention period. The LGP, Osmania University, is an open
system, having a slopy terrain all around that
facilitates substantial outflows, and consequently relatively shorter retention
period and habitat homogeneity. Further, while the BG pond retains water for
the most part, it too has habitat homogeneity. The MP, Attapur,
littered with boulders, higher depth (1–1.5 m) and littoral macrophytes, has higher aquatic productivity, witnessed
through production of fish nekton [Channa punctatus (Perciformis: Channidae) - Snake heads], appear around the third month
October], and offers more ecological niches. Lecanebulla (O.F. Muller, 1776), one of the highly morphologically variable
taxon, was observed to be numerically abundant, inhabiting all ponds, all
through the study, while L. pyriformis and L.quadridentata were common in LGP, Osmania
University, Hyderabad. Further, of the 22 spp. recorded, eight species—L.
bulla, L. closterocerca, L. hamata, L. ludwigi, L. luna, L. lunaris and L. papuana—occurred commonly in
all three ponds. Sorensen’s
index/similarity coefficients (1948) were used to evaluate percent similarity
between the three pond ecosystems. The quotient of similarity (QS) worked out to 32, 31 and 32%,
respectively. Further the
similarity/dissimilarity index between the three worked out to 36 and 64%,
respectively.
Table 2 highlights the range
of values of various physicochemical parameters in littoral waters, besides
range of values for inorganic plant nutrient-various forms of phosphorous (P-PO4mg/L) and Nitrogen (N-NO2, N-NO3 and N-NH3mg/L). Despite ecological potential of rotifers as possible limnologicalindicator, no categorical correlation can be drawn between rotifer fauna and
the wide range of physicochemical indicators especially temperature, hydrogen
ion concentration (pH), alkalinity, chlorides and or conductivity, in view of
wide environmental tolerance range of the various species complexes, following
difference in not just morphology but, genetics too (Kuczynski1987). Present study
also at best are indicative of range of tolerance of various Lecane species to wide pH (7.1–8.0),
high chloride (61–506 mg/l), high alkalinity (128–331 mg/l) and
lower medium conductivity (0.8–1.89 mS).
Co-incidentally enough, six of the species namely L. bulla, L. closterocerca, L. hamata, L. ludwigi, L. luna and L. papuana are common to all studies
from the region. Going by limnological indicators and rotifer associations (Kuczynski 1987), they may be categorized as euryokous.
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