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Ukrainian Journal of Ecology
UkrainianJournal of Ecology, 2017, 7(4), 627-632, doi: 10.15421/2017_170 ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Aquatic macroinvertebrates of the Lower Amu Darya
D.M. Palatov Z.P. Rajabov3
1 Altai State University, Lenina 61, Barnaul, 656049, Russia 2Moscow State University, Biological Faculty, Leninskie Gory 1/12, Moscow, 119992, Russia 3Mamun Academy, Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan, Center-1, Khiva, 220900, Uzbekistan
E-mail: triops@ya.ri (corresponding author) Submitted: 13.09.2017. Accepted:25.11.2017
Total of 50 species of macroinvertebrates have been found in the Lower Amu Darya River. The most diverse and productive assemblages of macroinvertebrates are formed on flooded woody objects, while the most depleted ones occur on washed sand and clay.
Key words: Amu Darya; Central Asia; macrobenthos; communities; river ecology; environmental factors
Introduction
The Amu-Darya is the largest river in Central Asia. In the lower course its width ranges from 400 m to 1.2 km, the depth reaches 10 m, and maximal flow velocity is 0.6-0.8 m/s. The river is characterized by a strong turbidity of water, whose transparency at the flood stage is almost zero. The bottom is predominantly sandy, highly mobile, having variable relief. In the medial zone one can observe clay bottom local sites and pebble and stone islets partially submerged in sand or clay. In rhypal, there are areas of soft silt (especially in small bays without currents), buckwheat and thickets of amphibious vegetation; there are virtually no real macrophytes.
The main watershed of the Amu-Darya is located in the mountainous areas of the Pamir and Hindu Kush (Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region of Tajikistan and Badakhshan province of Afghanistan); it is mainly glacier- and snow-fed. Thus, it undergoes summer floods and winter (January-February) low flow, which is typical for most of Central Asian lowland rivers. Fauna and assemblages of benthic invertebrates of the Amu Darya have not been adequately studied, despite the fact that many of them are a valuable food resource for the endemic (Pseudoscaphirhynchus kaufmanni (Bogdanow, 1874), Pseudoscaphrrhynchus hermanni (Kessler, 1877), etc.) and commercial fish species. Sponges (Rezvoj, 1926), mollusks (Lindholm, 1914, Zhadin, 1950), caddisflies (Martynov, 1914), Chironomidae (Pankratova, 1933, 1950, Shilova, 1955; Sagitov, 1971, 1983) of the Lower Amu-Darya were dealt with in a few studies, fragmentary information is also available on mayflies (Kluge, 1987). Nevertheless, general hydrobiological research was conducted only in the Amu Darya delta zone (Dengina, 1957), but exclusively the lake fauna was considered. The purpose of this work is to describe the fauna of macroinvertebrates and their assemblages in the lower course of the Amu Darya.
Materials and methods
Macrobenthos samples were obtained at the Pitnak-Qipchaq site (Fig. 1), from June 22, 2017 to June 27, 2017. Total of 23 samples were collected, both in the river itself and in the additional reservoirs, 17 of them were quantitative. The given characteristics of benthic assemblages are based on quantitative data. Samples of macrobenthos were collected with a spherical scraper with 0.5 mm mesh from all available biotopes up to 1 m depth. Samplings with grabber were taken in deep places from 1.5 to 10 m. One quantitative test corresponded to 5 scoops of soil with a scraper or one scoop with a grabber. Unfortunately, a considerable freshet (about 1.5 m) prevented a detailed examination of a few biotopes.
Results
In general, the fauna of macroinvertebrates of the Amu Darya is significantly depleted. A total of 50 species are identified. Some of these have been introduced into Central Asian waterbodies over the past 70 years (see Table 1). The least diverse communities of invertebrates are formed on sandy and clay soils On the clay substrate only single, randomly entered, specimens of chironomids were detected. Apparently, there is no permanent animal population here.
Assemblages of sandy soils. Sand forms the bottom and condenses under a strong current (0.6-0.8 m / s), which makes it difficult to move inside it. Specialized chironomid larvae predominate here; they probably represent a particular undescribed genus, Chironomini gen? l. amudarjensis sensu Pankratova, 1980 (60-100% of the total abundance). The subdominants are the psammorheophilic larvae of Macropeza albitarsis Meigen, 1818 and Stylurus flavipes liniatus Bartenef, 1929 represented by first-instar larvae. The total biomass of benthos is quite small and does not exceed 0.2-0.4 g / m2.
With a decrease in the current to 0.1-0.2 m/s and the appearance of some silting, a number of chironomid larvae join this assemblage. They are endemic Acalcarella nucus Pankratova, 1950, Demicryptochironomus vulneratus (Zetterstedt, 1838), Harnischia sp. In this case, the first species goes becomes dominant, amounting to 40% of the total abundance. Assemblages of muddy soils. Invertebrate complexes associated with silt are more species-rich; however, chironomid larvae (Tanypus vilipennis (Kieffer, 1918) constituting 25-60% of the total abundance, Paramerina sp. and others) remain the most abundant group. There are also the mayflies Caenisspp. (the most common is Caenispseudorivulorum Keffermüller, 1960), as well as the larvae of the horseflies (Tabanidae: Chrysops sp.) and the biting midges (Ceratopogonidae: Palpomyia sp.) here. Local high numbers (100 and more specimens/m2) are reached by the sludge worms Branchiura sowerbyi Beddard, 1892 occupying a dominant position in the community.
In flow of slower current, above the muddy soils, one can foind numerous flocks of Mysidae comprised of the two species of the genus Paramysis, P. intermedia (Czerniavsky, 1882) and P. kessleri(Grimm, 1875). These are adventive species introduced into the Amu-Darya (and into other waterbodies and watercourses of Central Asia) in the late 60s and early 70s (Embergenov, Sagitov, 1980). The mysid flocks are quite numerous (20-50 specimens/m2 and more) and serve as a valuable food resource for many fish species.
Assemblages of rhypal biotopes (shore roots and other mosaic substrates). At a moderate (0.1 -0.3 m/s) current, submerged amphibiotic vegetation is inhabited by actively swimming Baetis (Labiobaetis) desertus (Novikova et Kluge, 1987) previously known only from the Chu River in southern Kazakhstan (Novikova, Kluge, 1987); it constitutes 55-65% of the total abundance. The subdominants are represented by the specific Central Asian Heptagenia perfava Brodsky, 1930, previously recorded from the Lower Amu Darya (Kluge, 1987). They are less numerous than the previous species, accounting for 15-35% of the total community. The mayflies Baetis(Nigrobaetis) digitatus Bengtsson, 1912 and chironomids Polypedilum spp. occur singly. With a decrease in the current to 0-0.01 m/s, limnophilic larvae of a few dragonfly species, the mayflies Cloeon dipterum Linnaeus, 1761 and the mollusks Physella acuta (Draparnaud, 1805) and Radix auricularia (Linnaeus, 1758) also join this biotope. Furthermore, the beetles, Aulonogyrus concinnus Klug, 1834 and Gyrinus distinctus Aubé, 1864, form local large concentration in the rhypal zone.
Table 1. Species of invertebrates found in the Lower Amu Darya
Number Вид Biotope
Annelida: Oligochaeta: Tubificidae
1. Branchiura sowerbyiBeddard, 1892 Amu Darya
Records
Firstly recorded
Mollusca: Gastropoda: Physidae
2.
Physella acuta (Draparnaud, 1805)
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10. 11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16. 17.
Amu Darya; Floodplain lakes Mollusca: Gastropoda: Lymnaeidae
Radix auricularia (Linnaeus, 1758)
Amu Darya
Radixsp. Floodplain lakes
Orientogalba viridisQuoy et Gaimard, 1833 Wet silt near the
shore
Mollusca: Gastropoda: Planorbidae
Gyraulus albus(Müller, 1774) Floodplain lakes
Trochorbis sp. River sediments
Mollusca: Gastropoda: Succinidae
Oxyloma sp.
Wet silt near the shore
Mollusca: Bivalvia: Unionidae
Sinanodonta sp. Floodplain lakes
Crustacea: Mysidacea: Mysidae Paramysis intermedia (Czerniavsky, 1882) Amu Darya
Paramysis kessleri (Grimm, 1875)
Amu Darya
Crustacea: Decapoda: Palaemonidae
Floodplain lakes
Macrobrachium nipponense(De Haan 1849)
Insecta: Odonata: Coenagrionidae Ischnura spp. Floodplain lakes
Insecta: Odonata: Gomphidae
Stylurus flavipes liniatus Bartenef, 1929 Amu Darya
Insecta: Ephemeroptera: Heptageniidae
Heptageniaperflava Brodsky, 1930 Amu Darya
Insecta: Ephemeroptera: Baetidae
Baetis(Labiobaetis) desertus Novikova et Amu Darya
Kluge, 1987
Baetis(Nigrobaetis) digitatus Bengtsson, Amu Darya
1912
Firstly recorded
Lindholm (1914) Zhadin (1950) Firstly recorded
Firstly recorded
Zhadin (1950) Firstly recorded
Lindholm (1914) Firstly recorded
Embergenov, Sagitov
(1980) Embergenov, Sagitov (1980)
Firstly recorded
Borisov, Kharitonov
(2007)
Borisov, Kharitonov
(2008)
Kluge (1987) Firstly recorded Firstly recorded
18.
Cloeon dipterum (Linnaeus, 1761)
Amu Darya
Sagitov, (1983)
Insecta: Ephemeroptera: Caenidae
19.
20. 21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
Caenis macrura Stephens, 1835 Amu Darya
Caenispseudorivulorum Keffermuller, 1960 Amu Darya
Caenisrobusta Eaton, 1884 Amu Darya
Insecta: Heteroptera: Nepidae Ranatra unicolorScott, 1874 Floodplain lakes
Insecta: Coleoptera: Dytiscidae Hydroglyphus geminus (Fabriaus, 1792) Floodplain lakes
Insecta: Coleoptera: Noteridae
Noterus clavicornis(De Geer, 1774) Floodplain lakes
Insecta: Coleoptera: Gyrinidae
Aulonogyrus concinnus(Klug, 1834) Amu Darya
Gyrinus distinctusAube, 1864
Amu Darya
Insecta: Coleoptera: Hidrophilidae
Laccobius decorusGyllenhal, 1827 Floodplain lakes
Insecta: Coleoptera: Elmidae
Potamophilus acuminatus (Fabricius, 1792) Amu Darya
Insecta: Coleoptera: Hydraenidae
29. Ochthebiussp. Floodplain lakes
Insecta: Trichoptera: Hydropsychidae
30. Hydropsyche sp. Amu Darya
31.
Insecta: Trichoptera: Leptoceridae
Ylodes /nternus(McLachlan, 1875). Amu Darya
Firstly recorded Firstly recorded Firstly recorded
Kanyukova(2006)
Known for Uzbekistan Nilsson (2001)
Known for Uzbekistan, Nilsson (2011)
Known for Uzbekistan, Mazzoldi
(2003) Known for Uzbekistan Mazzoldi (2003)
Known for Uzbekistan (Hansen, 1999)
Known for the adjacent regions of Turkmenistan Kirejtshuk (2001)
A few species of the
genus are known from the Amu Darya Basin Jäch (2004)
A few species of the
genus are known from the Amu Darya Basin (Martynov, 1914)
Martynov (1914)
Insecta: Diptera: Chironomidae
Orthocladiinae
32.
33.
Chironominae
34.
35.
Orthocladius sp. Rheocricotopus s p.
Acalcarella nucus Pankratova, 1950
Chironomini gen? l. amudarjensis sensu Pankratova, 1980
Amu Darya Amu Darya
Amu Darya Amu Darya
Firstly recorded Firstly recorded
Pankratova (1933, 1950); Shilova (1950) Pankratova (1933, 1950);
36. Demicryptochironomus vulneratus Amu Darya Firstly recorded
(Zetterstedt, 1838)
37. Endochironomus cf. stackelbergi Amu Darya Firstly recorded
38. Harnischia sp. Amu Darya Pankratova (1933)
39. Polypedilum scalaenumgroup Amu Darya Sagitov, (1983);
Shilova (1950)
40. Rheotanytarsus s p. Amu Darya Pankratova, (1933)
Tanypodinae
41. Paramerina sp. Amu Darya Firstly recorded
42. Tanypus vilipennis(Kieffer, 1918) Amu Darya Firstly recorded
43. Thienemannimyia sp. Amu Darya Firstly recorded
Insecta: Diptera: Ceratopogonidae
44. Macropeza albitarsis Meigen, 1818 Amu Darya Pankratova (1933)
45. Palpomyia sp. Amu Darya Firstly recorded
Insecta: Diptera: Simuliidae
46. Psilocnetha sp. Amu Darya Firstly recorded
Insecta: Diptera: Limoniidae
47. Erioptera sp. Amu Darya Firstly recorded
Insecta: Diptera: Tabanidae
48. Ta ban us sp. Amu Darya Sagitov, (1983);
Bryozoa: Plumatellida: Plumatellidae
49. Plumatella sp. Amu Darya Firstly recorded
Bryozoa: Ctenostomata: Victorellidae
50. Victorella sp. Amu Darya Firstly recorded
Xylophilous assemblages. Benthic communities forming on the current (from 0.3 m/s) on flooded wood objects, bushes and branches of riparian plants reach the largest total biomass. Larvae of the caddisflies Hydropsyche sp. (300-400 specimens/m2, up to 80% of the total abundance in a sample), H. perflava, chironomids Orthociadius spp dominate here. The xylophilous beetles Potamophllus acuminatus (Fabricius, 1792) and caddisflies Ylodes internus (McLachlan, 1875) occur singly but quite regularly. In the area where the river runs near the ridge of Karatau, filter-feeding simulid larvae Psilocnetha sp. begin to contribute to this community. In Central Asia these insects are also known from the Syr Darya (South Kazakhstan) (lankovskiy, Koshkimbaev, 1988). It is not entirely clear why they do not live upstream.
According to local residents, during low water this biotope is inhabited by the large shrimp Macrobrachium nipponense (De Haan, 1849) which was introduced in the Amu Darya in the 70s. We observed it only in the reservoirs of the Amu-Darya floodplain.
The surface of driftwood and other submerged wood objects is overgrown with colonies of bryozoans, mainly of the genera Plumatellaand Victorella, and with the oligochaetes Naisspp. when silting.
Due to the significant freshet, we were unable to examine in detail the population of stony substrates. Small parts of the rocky ground were met by us only in the district of the village Pitnak. It was inhabited by larvae of caddisflies of the genus Hydropsyche and the chironomid larvae of the genus Rheotanytarsus. Apparently, population of this biotope is in fact significantly richer. Probably for the same reason, in our collections there are no known for the region rheophilic caddisflies Neureclipsis bimaculata (Linnaeus, 1758) (Martynov, 1914), mayflies Oligoneuriella, a number of chironomids (Sagitov, 1971, 1983), and sponges (Rezvoj, 1926).
Wet silt along the water's edge is inhabited by the amphibiotic amber snails Oxyloma and Succinea, less often by the pond snails Orientogalba viridis Quoy et Gaimard, 1833. Various larvae of dragonflies (for example, numerous larvae Anax spp.), Noteridae, Dytiscidae, large bivalve mollusks Sinanodonta, gastropods Gyraulus, Radix and Trochorbis have been found in floodplain waterbodies. A complete list of organisms from the Amu Darya floodplain waterbodies is shown in Table 1. Thus, the fauna of macroinvertebrates of the Lower Amu Darya River is rather depleted: only 50 species have been found. The reasons of this phenomenon are: 1) the predominance of fine sand among the bottom grounds; it is inconvenient for attachment, 2) general deficiency of organic food resources, 3) high turbidity of the river's waters (the suspended particles
settle on the respiratory organs of animals, making breathing difficult). The richest communities of macroinvertebrates, in terms of both abundance and biomass, are formed on flooded woody objects, while the most depleted ones occur on washed sand and clay.
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Citation:
Palatov, P.M., Rajabov, Z.P. (2017). Aquatic macroinvertebrates of the Lower Amu Darya. Ukrainian Journal of Ecology, 7^4), 627-632. work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0. License
