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Crustacean zooplankton assemblages in freshwaters of tropical Australia

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Abstract

Throughout tropical Australia eulimnetic zooplankton is composed of 7 calanoid copepods, 5 cyclopoid copepods and 12 cladocerans. A further 10 cyclopoids and 9 cladocerans occur as littoral ‘strays’, making 43 species in all. Dominants include Diaptomus lumholtzi, Mesocyclops notius, Thermocyclops decipiens, Diaphanosoma excisum, Ceriodaphnia cornuta, and Moina micrura. Momentary species composition averages 1.0 calanoids, 1.3 cyclopoids and 2.0 cladocerans. These assemblages are not only less complex than in temperate Australia, but also are not as rich as in most other tropical regions. The main contributors to these differences are calanoids and cladocerans respectively. Nevertheless, as elsewhere, most zooplankters in tropical Australia are eurytropic, widely distributed and small.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sciences Department, Avondale College of Advanced Education, 2265, Cooranbong, N.S.W., Australia

    B. V. Timms

  2. Department of Zoology, Monash University, 3186, Clayton, Victoria, Australia

    D. W. Morton

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  1. B. V. Timms
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  2. D. W. Morton
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Timms, B.V., Morton, D.W. Crustacean zooplankton assemblages in freshwaters of tropical Australia. Hydrobiologia 164, 161–169 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00008456

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00008456

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