Annual and seasonal changes in zooplankton community structure of Lake Kawaguchi, Japan

Abstract

Annual and seasonal changes in the community structure of metazoan plankton in Lake Kawaguchi were studied from April 1993 to December 1995. Sixteen taxa of rotifer, 4 taxa of cladoceran and 5 taxa of copepods were identified in this study. Among zooplankton species, Kellicottia longispina, Synchaeta stylata, Bosmina longirostris, and Daphnia galeata were found abundantly. Copepod species were grouped into Cyclopoida. A comparison of the present with previous studies indicates that some cladoceran species, Bosmina fatalis and Bosminopsis deitersi, have vanished altogether. It may be concluded that the structure of the zooplankton community in this lake has changed remarkably in recent years.