Estado de conocimiento de los crustaceos zooplanctonicos dulceacuicolas de Chile

Abstract

Chile is characterized to present an altitudinal and latitudinal geographic gradient making possible to find different continental water bodies, whose diversity is reflected in the composition of zooplanktonic species. Five main zones can be distinguished in this gradient, in which during the last decades ecological information and in a minor part taxonomy have been collected. At the northern a zone of lakes and lagoons located in the Chilean-Peruvian plateau is distinguished, in thereby making possible to register endemic species as Daphnia peruviana and species of Boeckella. Central Chile is characterized normally by a series of aquatic bodies located at low altitude and low depth; among the zooplankton Tumeodiaptomus vivianae. At this latitude are also lakes of high mountain of greater depth, they are characterized by the presence of species of the Boeckella. In the South Central zone, in the denominated Nahuelbutensis lakes, few registrations exist in this respect. At the area of the Nordpatagonian lakes, a large information has been gathered, and they are characterized by a low diversity of species. Finally, in the Southern zone of Chile, as far the typical region in species richness is located in the area of Torres del Paine, with a high endemism (Parabroteas sarsi, Daphnia dadayana, D. commutata.).