Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
CRUSTACEANA, cilt.82, sa.5, ss.515-530, 2009 (SCI-Expanded)
Based on preliminary evidence (collected by us early 2005) of Epistylis infection of zooplankton, we investigated the prevalence of epibionts on various groups of metazooplankton with regard to Epistylis in the Asi River, north-eastern Mediterranean, Turkey. This study presents a detailed record of that ciliate protozoan on zooplankton from the Asi River in 2005-2006. Copepods, cladocerans, and rotifers were monthly sampled in the study period. The colonial Epistylis sp. was found on various groups: rotifers were the most abundant metazooplankton group (58 species out of a total of 89 zooplankton species) but the results show that copepods are the preferred substratrum for Epistylis sp., followed by cladocerans and rotifers. The highest densities of infected zooplankton were observed in December (116 ind. 20 L(-1)), then in May (92 ind. 20 L(-1)). Also October (91 ind. 20 L(-1)), and November (83 ind. 20 L(-1)) were associated with high zooplankton densities, possibly due to the increase in adhesion surface. The density of infected zooplankton was found to be positively correlated with zooplankton richness. The zooplankton infection in the Asi River constitutes the first record for Turkish inland waters of Epistylis sp., with the exception of a previous record for Cyclops vicinus Uljanin, 1875.