Main Content

The World of Protozoa, Rotifera, Nematoda and Oligochaeta

Ref ID : 1833

Henri J. Dumont and Marc Coussement; Rotifers from Rio De Oro (North-western Sahara). Hydrobiologia 51(2):109-112, 1976

Reprint

In File

Notes

Very little surface water is available in the North-Western Sahara and its aquatic microfauna is poorly known. Few oasis exist along the course of the Saguiet el Hamra. Although this was a powerful stream during most of the Holocene, and its drying up occurred quickly, some 4,000 years ago. During April 1975, a limnological expedition team lead by the senior author explored springs in the small oasis of Meseit near El Aaiun (loc. 1); a shallow water pit at Semara, eastern part of the valley of Saguiet el Hamra (loc. 2), and a permanent lakelet in Central-East Rio de Oro, The Guelta of Guelta Zemmur (loc. 3). A photograph of the last locality is shown in Dumont & Van de Velde (1975). It is the only reasonably large body of water in this part of the Sahara desert.