Author(s):

Anitha PS, Rani Mary George

Abstract: The present study reports on rotifer fauna from two low-saline backwaters namely Veli-Aakulam (latitude 8^o 25' – 8^o 30' N & longitudes 76^o 55' - 77^o 00' E) and Poonthura - Thiruvallam (latitude 8^o 25' – 8^o 35'N & longitude 76^o 50' – 76^o 58' E) along the southern part of Kerala, India. The survey for rotifers was carried out from February 2000 to January 2001. A total of 42 species of rotifers belonging to 16 genera and 12 families are recorded. Of these, the family Brachionidae is represented by the highest number of 22 species followed by Lecanidae (5 species), Filinidae (4 species) and Mitilinidae (2 species). The rotifers, Brachionus dichotomus reductus (Koste & Shiel) and B. kostei (Shiel) are reported here for the first time from Indian waters while B. quadridentatus mirabilis (Daday), B. calyciflorus borgerti (Apstein), Mytilina crassipes (Lucks), Filinia opolensis (Zacharias) and F. cornuta (Weisse) are reported for the first time from Kerala waters. The existence of B. forficula keralaiensis (Nayar & Nair) and B. rotundiformis (Tschugunoff) in Kerala waters is confirmed through the present study since they have been reported so far only from Kerala. Diagnostic features of some interesting species are also illustrated in the present account with remarks on their distribution in India.

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