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The World of Protozoa, Rotifera, Nematoda and Oligochaeta

Ref ID : 3334

H.J.G. Dartnall and Eric D. Hollowday; Antarctic Rotifers. British Antarctic Survey Scientific Reports 100:1-46, 1985

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This report describes 42 species of freshwater rotifer and reviews all previous studies on Antarctic rotifers. Thirty-eight of the species were found during a two-year study at Signy Island, South Orkney Islands. Twenty-nine of them were Monogononta including one new species, four new sub-species and twenty new records for the Antarctic. The other nine were Bdelloidea, all of which have been reported from the Antarctic before. In addition, fifteen species (thirteen Monogononta and two Bdelloidea) were obtained from South Georgia and all are new records for the sub-Antarctic. The results clearly show that, contrary to previous studies, Monogononta, not Bdelloidea, are the predominant group. An attempt is made to integrate the present and previous observations into a coherent ecological picture, as a result of which, areas for future study are indicated.