A Study of Benthic Communities in some Shallow Saline Lakes of Western Victoria, Australia

Abstract

The summer benthos of 24 lakes ranging from 1-204 g l-1 salinity contained 27 species of macroinvertebrates. The worm Antipodrilus timmsi, the ostracod Mytilocypris splendida, the amphipod Austrochiltonia subtenuis, the chironomids Procladius spp. and Chironomus duplex aand the snail Coxiella striata were common at lower salinities (3-ca. 30 g l-1) while the crustaceans Australocypris robusta and Haloniscus searlei, the chironomid Tanytarsus barbitarsis and a ceratopogonid larva dominated in salinities ca. 20-100 g l-1. Small ostracods were common from 40-150 g l-1. Diversity changed little with salinity. Mean dry biomass ranged from 0-3.94 g m-2; distribution between lakes was negatively skewed with a peak around 7 g l-1 salinity. Within many lakes, there was considerable spatial heterogeneity which in some cases seemed to result from different bottom characteristics or to point source enrichment. Many groups contributed to the standing crop at low to moderate salinities, and at high salinities crustaceans were important. The lakes were grouped into two low salinity associations, an association which comprised the Red Rock Lakes and a cluster of highly saline lakes. This reflects the grouping of species into halobiont, halophilic and salt-tolerant freshwater species. © 1983 Dr W. Junk Publishers.