Aquatic oligochaetes associated with bryophytes in an Atlantic Forest stream

Abstract

There are few reports in the literature about the colonization of benthic macroinvertebrates on bryophytes. The aim of the present study was to analyzed the oligochaetes established on bryophytes adhered to stones in a first-order stream. The collections were carried out in an Atlantic Forest fragment area during the dry and rainy seasons. We identified 15 taxa from a total of 422 oligochaetes specimens, of which the most abundant were Pristina sp.1, Enchytraeidae and Pristina jenkinae. Unlike other habitats, where the abundance of macroinvertebrates tends to be greater in the dry season, we did not find any significant differences in the abundance, richness, composition and diversity between the two periods. The results of this study indicate that bryophytes are possible areas of refuge for oligochaetes in periods of faster water flow.