Temporal analysis of communities of aquatic oligochaeta (Annelida: Clitellata: Oligochaeta) in anthropic lakes

Fátima Pereira, LuciCarolina de Deus Bueno Krawczyk, Ana

Oligochaetes are important components of energy flow in freshwater ecosystems. Even though of ecological significance, few studies are available about this group. Therefore, this study analyzed the diversity of Oligochaeta in three anthropic lakes and investigated their distribution over a seasonal cycle in a forest fragment at Porto União, Santa Catarina, Brazil. Sediment samples were obtained using na Ekman-Birge (15x15cm) grab in October (spring) and January 2011 (summer), March (autumm), and July (winter) 2012. We collected 305 individuals, belonging to 4 species, and 5 genera from the Tubificinae and Naidinae families. The highest density was in autumm, a period with greater climatic stability. Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri (Claparede, 1862) was the most abundant species, present in all sampling periods. Our results increase the knowledge on oligochaeta in Southern Brazil and provide the first record limnic oligochaetes to Porto União, Santa Catarina.Key words: Atlantic Forest. Autumm. Diversity. Seasonality.