Skip to main content
Log in

Macrozoobenthos Communities of Springs and Streams of the Eastern Circum-Pontic Region

  • ZOOPLANKTON, ZOOBENTHOS, ZOOPERIPHYTON
  • Published:
Inland Water Biology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We use our original material, including 432 quantitative samples, to describe macrozoobenthic communities formed in springs and cave and epigean streams of the eastern Circum-Pontic region (Caucasus and Transcaucasia, Crimea, and northern Turkey). An annotated list of the species that were detected, including more than 250 taxa, is given. Bottom communities of 14 types are described. The regional peculiarities of the fauna and communities of the crenal, as well as their altitudinal and geographical variability within the region, are discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1.

Similar content being viewed by others

REFERENCES

  1. Alimov, A.F., Metabolism intensity in aquatic poikilotherms, in Obshchie osnovy izucheniya vodnykh ekosistem (General Framework for Studying Aquatic Ecosystems), Leningrad: Nauka, 1979, pp. 5–20.

  2. Barquín, J. and Death, R.G. Spatial patterns of macroinvertebrate diversity in New Zealand spring brooks and rhithral streams, J. N. Am. Benth. Soc., 2006, vol. 25, pp. 768–786. https://doi.org/10.1899/0887-3593(2006)025[0768:SPOMDI]2.0.CO;2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Birstein, J.A., The cave fauna of Western Transcaucasia, Zool. Zh., 1950, vol. 29, no. 4, pp. 354–366.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Birstein, J.A., Genesis of the Freshwater, Subterranean, and Abyssal Faunas, Moscow: Nauka, 1985.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Birstein, J.A. and Ljovuschkin, S.I., Some results and goals of studies of the subterranean fauna of the USSR, Zool. Zh., 1967, vol. 46, no. 10, pp. 1509–1535.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Cantonati, M., Gerecke, R., and Bertuzzi, E. Springs of the Alps—sensitive ecosystems to environmental change: from biodiversity assessments to long-term studies, Hydrobiologiya, 2006, vol. 562, pp. 59–96. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-005-1806-9

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Chertoprud, M.V., Rheophilic macrobenthic communities of the Northwest Transcaucasia, in Materialy IV Vserossiyskogo simpoziuma po amfibioticheskim i vodnym nasekomym i X Trikhopterologicheskogo simpoziuma (Proceedings of the IV All-Russia Symposium on Amphibiotic and Aquatic Insects of Russia and X Trichopterological Symposium), Vladikavkaz: North Ossetian State University, 2010, pp. 131–135.

  8. Chertoprud, M.V., Diversity and classification of rheophilic communities of macrozoobenthos in middle latitudes of European Russia, Biol. Bull. Rev., 2011, vol. 1, no. 3, pp. 165–184.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Chertoprud, M.V. and Palatov, D.M., Stream macrozoobenthic communities of the Eastern Balkans, Inland Water Biol., 2017, vol. 10, no 3, pp. 286–295. https://doi.org/10.1134/S1995082917030051

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Chertoprud, E.S., Palatov, D.M., Borisov R.R., et al., Distribution and a comparative analysis of the aquatic invertebrate fauna in caves of the Western Caucasus, Subterr. Biol., 2016, vol. 18, pp. 49–70. https://doi.org/10.3897/subtbiol.18.8648

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Chertoprud, E.M., Palatov, D.M., and Vinarski, M.V., Revealing the stygobiont and crenobiont Mollusca biodiversity hotspot in Caucasus: Part II. Sitnikovia gen. nov.—a new genus of stygobyont microsnails (Gastropoda: Hydrobiidae) from Georgia, Zoosyst. Ross., 2020, vol. 29, no 2, pp. 258–266. https://doi.org/10.31610/zsr/2020.29.2.258

  12. Chertoprud, E.S., Borisov, R.R., Palatov, D.M., et al., Aquatic invertebrate fauna in caves of the Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti and Imereti (Western Georgia): stygobiotic and epigean species complexes, Russ. J. Zool., 2020, vol. 99, no. 3, pp. 275–289. https://doi.org/10.31857/S0044513420030058

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Derzhavin, A.N., Gammarids of Nakhichevan ASSR, Tr. Zool. Inst. Azer. Fil. Akad. Nauk SSSR, 1938, no. 8, pp. 163–184.

  14. Derzhavin, A.N., Subterranean amphipods of Transcaucasia, Izv. Akad. Nauk Azer. SSR, 1945, no. 8, pp. 27–43.

  15. Gray, D., Braided river springs: distribution, benthic ecology, and role in the landscape, Unpublished MSc Thesis, Univ. of Canterbury, 2005.

  16. Grego, J., Mumladze, L., Falniowski, A., et al., Revealing the Stygobiont and Crenobiont mollusca biodiversity hotspot in Caucasus: Part I. The phylogeny of stygobiont Sadlerianinae Szarowska 2006 (Mollusca; Gastropoda; Hydrobiidae) from Georgia with description of five new genera and twenty-one new species, Zookeys, 2020, vol. 955, pp. 1–77. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.955.51983

  17. Illies, J., Versuch einer allgemeinen biozonotischen Gliederung der Fliessgewasser, Int. Rev. Ges. Hydrobiol., 1961, vol. 46, no 2, pp. 205–213. https://doi.org/10.1002/iroh.19610460205

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Karaman, G.S., New species of the subterranean genus Niphargus Schiödte, 1849 (Amphipoda, Gammaridea, Niphargidae) from Russia, N. krasnodarus sp. n., Biol. Serb., 2012, vol. 34, pp. 75–88.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Khomenko, A., Utevsky, S., Palatov, D., et al., On the distribution of Dina stschegolewi (Hirudinida: Erpobdellidae) in the South Caucasus, Zool. Middle East, 2017, pp. 1–3. https://doi.org/10.1080/09397140.2017.1414980

  20. Marin, I.N., Troglocaris (Xiphocaridinella) kumistavi sp. nov., a new species of stygobiotic atyid shrimp (Crustacea: Decapoda: Atyidae) from Kumistavi Cave, Imereti, Western Georgia, Caucasus, Zootaxa, 2017, vol. 4311, no. 4, pp. 576–588. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4311.4.9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Marin, I.N., Cryptic diversity of stygobiotic shrimp genus Xiphocaridinella Sadowsky, 1930 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Atyidae): the first case of species co-occurrence in the same cave system in the Western Caucasus, Zootaxa, 2018, vol. 4441, no. 2, pp. 201–224. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4441.2.1

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Marin, I.N., Crustacean “cave fishes” from the Arabika karst massif (Abkhazia, Western Caucasus): new species of stygobiotic crustacean genera Xiphocaridinella and Niphargus from the Gegskaya Cave and adjacent area, Arthropoda Selecta, 2019, vol. 28, no. 2, pp. 225–245.https://doi.org/10.15298/arthsel.28.2.05

  23. Marin, I. and Palatov, D., A new species of the genus Niphargus (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Niphargidae) from the south-western part of the North Caucasus, Zool. Middle East, 2019, pp. 1–11. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4701.1.8

  24. Marin, I. and Sokolova, A., Redescription of the stygobiotic shrimp Troglocaris (Xiphocaridinella) jusbaschjani Birštein, 1948 (Decapoda: Caridea: Atyidae) from Agura River, Sochi, Russia, with remarks on other representatives of the genus from Caucasus, Zootaxa, 2014, vol. 3754, no. 3, pp. 277–298. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3754.3.3

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Martynov, A.V., On the freshwater fauna of the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus. I. Amphipoda, Tr. Zool. Inst., Akad. Nauk SSSR, 1932, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 73–98.

    Google Scholar 

  26. Martynov, A.V., Godunko, R.J., and Palatov, D.M., Kintrishi State Nature Reserve—a hotspot for mayfly (Insecta: Ephemeroptera) diversity in Adjara (Georgia), Zoosymposia, 2016, vol. 11, pp. 168–173. https://doi.org/10.11646/zoosymposia.11.1.18

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Palatov, D.M., Review of the freshwater microgastropods of the Western Transcaucasia, in Molluski: biologia, evolutsiya i formirovanie malakofaun (Mollusca: Biology, Ecology, Evolution, and Formation of Malacofaunas), Yaroslavl: Filigran, 2019, p. 63.

  28. Palatov, D.M. and Chertoprud, M.V., Macrozoobenthic communities of compact grounds in streams of eastern Black sea region, Russ. J. Ecol., 2018, vol. 49, no. 1, pp. 80–86. https://doi.org/10.1134/S1067413618010125

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Palatov, D.M. and Sokolova, A.M., Ecology and distribution of the amphipod Gammarus crispus Mart. in waterways of the Western Caucasus, in Materyaly II-I mezhdunarodnoi nauchno-prakticheskoi konferentsii “Bioraznoobrazie, Biokonservatsyia, Biomonitoring” (Proceedings of the II-nd International scientific and practical conference “Biodiversity. Bioconservation. Biomonitoring”), Maikop: Adyg. Gos. Univ., 2015, pp. 63–66.

  30. Palatov, D.M. and Sokolova, A.M., Stygobiotic faunal elements in spring assemblages of West Transcaucasia, Ecosys. Transform., 2019, vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 1–9. https://doi.org/10.23859/estr-180128

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Palatov, D.M., Chertoprud, M.V., and Frolov, A.A., Fauna and types of soft-bottom macrozoobenthic assemblages in watercourses of mountainous regions on the Eastern Black Sea coast, Inland Water Biol., 2016, vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 150–159. https://doi.org/10.1134/S1995082916020140

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Satunin, K.A., On zoogeographical districts of the Caucasus Territory, Nov. Kavkaz. Muz. (Tiflis), 1912, vol. 7, no 1, pp. 1–106.

    Google Scholar 

  33. Sidorov, D., The spring-dwelling amphipod genus Lyurella (Peracarida, Amphipoda): systematics, distribution, and affinity, with description of the second representative from the Black Sea coast region, Crustaceana, 2014, vol. 88, no. 1, pp. 27–50. https://doi.org/10.1163/15685403-00003392

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Sidorov, D., Gontcharov, A., Palatov, D., et al., Shedding light on a cryptic cavernicole: a second species of Zenkevitchia Birstein (Crustacea, Amphipoda, Typhlogammaridae) discovered via molecular techniques, Subterr. Biol., 2015, vol. 15, pp. 37–55. https://doi.org/10.3897/subtbiol.15.4872

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Sidorov, D., Taylor, S.J., Sharina, S., et al., Zenkevitchiidae fam. nov. (Crustacea: Gammaroidea), with description of new subterranean amphipods from extremely deep cave habitats, J. Nat. Hist., 2018, vol. 52, nos. 23–24, pp. 1509–1535. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222933.2018.1482017

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Sket, B., High biodiversity in hypogean waters and its endangerment – the situation in Slovenia, the Dinaric karst, and Europe, Crustaceana, 1999, vol. 72, no. 8, pp. 767–779. https://doi.org/10.1163/156854099503951

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. Starobogatov, Ya. I., On the knowledge of mollusks from the subterranean waters of the Caucasus, Byull. Mosk. O-va. Ispyt. Prir., Otd. Biol., 1962, vol. 67, no. 6, pp. 42–54.

    Google Scholar 

  38. Turbanov, I.S., Palatov, D.M., and Golovatch, S.I., The state of the art of biospeleology in Russia and other countries of the former Soviet Union: a review of the cave (endogean) invertebrate fauna. 1. Introduction—Crustacea, Entomol. Rev., 2016a, vol. 96, no. 7. pp. 926–963. https://doi.org/10.1134/S0013873816070162

    Article  Google Scholar 

  39. Turbanov, I.S., Palatov, D.M., and Golovatch, S.I., The state of the art of biospeleology in Russia and other countries of the former Soviet Union: a review of the cave (endogean) invertebrate fauna. 2. Arachnida—Acknowledgments, Entomol. Rev., 2016b, vol. 96, no. 9. pp. 1297–1333. https://doi.org/10.1134/S0013873816090116

    Article  Google Scholar 

  40. Vereshchagin, N.K., Living conditions and ecological groupings of animals of the Caucasian isthmus, Zhivotn. Mir SSSR, 1958, vol. 5, pp. 149–179.

    Google Scholar 

  41. Veysig, S.Ya., Fauna of the Shollar springs, Izv. Azerb.Gos.Univ., 1930, vol. 9, pp. 173–185.

    Google Scholar 

  42. Vinarski, M.V. and Palatov, D.M., A survey of the Belgrandiella-like gastropods of the northern Black Sea region (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Hydrobiidae s. l.): morphological variability and morphospecies, Russ. J. Zool., 2019, vol. 98, no. 7, pp.1–15. https://doi.org/10.1134/S0044513419070122

    Article  Google Scholar 

  43. Vinarski, M., Glöer, P., and Palatov, D., Gyraulus elenae sp. n.—a new planorbid snail from Eastern Turkey (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Planorbidae), Zootaxa, 2013, vol. 3664, no. 1, pp. 95–98. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3664.1.9

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  44. Vinarski, M., Palatov, D., and Glöer, P., Revision of ‘Horatia’ snails (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Hydrobiidae sensu lato) from South Caucasus with description of two new genera, J. Nat. Hist., 2014, vol. 48, no. 37–38, pp. 2237–2253. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222933.2014.917210

    Article  Google Scholar 

  45. Wigger, F.W., Schmidlin, L., Nagel, P., and von Fumetti, S., Macroinvertebrate assemblages of natural springs along an altitudinal gradient in the Bernese Alps, Switzerland, Ann. Limnol.–Int. J. Limnol., 2015, vol. 51, no. 3, pp. 237–247. https://doi.org/10.1051/limn/2015018

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We are grateful to S.Yu. Utevskii (Kharkov National University, Ukraine) and S.V. Vinarski (Omsk State Pedagogical University) for their help in determining the material and to Ruben Emeksudzyan (Tsabal, Abkhazia), Lukzar Abashidze (Batumi, Georgia), Ilham Alekperov and Natalya Snegova (Baku, Azerbaijan), and Roland Azizyan (Vayk, Armenia) for their help in conducting winter field research and information on local history.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to D. M. Palatov or M. V. Chertoprud.

Ethics declarations

This work was financially supported by Russian Foundation for Basic Research (project no. 18-34-20105 mol_a_ved).

Additional information

Translated by T. Kuznetsova

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Palatov, D.M., Chertoprud, M.V. Macrozoobenthos Communities of Springs and Streams of the Eastern Circum-Pontic Region. Inland Water Biol 13, 592–604 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1134/S1995082920040070

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S1995082920040070

Keywords:

Navigation