Diversity of Benthic Animals

Categories of Benthic Animals

• >1 mm macrobenthos• <.1 mm microbenthos• Between .1 and 1 mm meiobenthos

Major Taxonomic Groups of Benthos

• Porifera• Coelenterata– Hydrozoa

• Platyhelminthes– Turbellaria

• Gastrotricha• Rotifera• Nematoda• Bryozoa

• Annelida– Oligochaeta– Hirundinella

• Mollusca– Gastropoda– Pelecypoda

• Arthropoda– Crustacea– Insecta

Major Functional Groups of Benthos

Functional Feeding Groups• Predators (prd)• Omnivores• Collectors– Filtering Collectors (c-f)– Gathering Collectors (c-g)

• Scrapers (scr)• Shredders (shr)• Piercers

Habitat & Behavior• Clinger• Climber• Sprawler• Burrower• Swimmer

Hilsenhoff Biotic IndexBiotic Index Water Quality Degree of Organic Pollution

0.00-3.50 Excellent No apparent organic pollution

3.51-4.50 Very good Possible slight organic pollution

4.51-5.50 Good Some organic pollution

5.51-6.50 Fair Fairly significant organic pollution

6.51-7.50 Fairly poor Significant organic pollution

7.51-8.50 Poor Very significant organic pollution

8.51-10.00 Very poor Severe organic pollution

1929-2011

Porifera

• Spongilla (5)

Coelenterata

• Hydrozoa– Hydra (5)

– Craspedacusta

Platyhelminthes

• Turbellaria– Dugesia (6)

Gastrotricha

Rotifera

• Bdelloid rotifers

Bryozoa

• Plumatella

• Pectinatella

• statoblast

Annelida

• Oligochaeta (e.g. Tubifex; 10)

Annelida

• Hirundinella– Hirudo (6)

– Glossiphonia (8)

Mollusca, scr

• Gastropoda– Physa (8)

– Helisoma (6)

– Pleurocera (6)

Mollusca, c-f

• Pelecypoda (Bivalvia)– Corbicula (6)

– Dreissena (8)

– Sphaerium (6)

Mollusca, c-f

• Pelecypoda (Bivalvia)– Elliptio (8)

– Lampsilis (6)

Aquatic Arachnid Arthropods, prd

• Water Mites (e.g. Arrenurus, 6)

• Fishing Spiders (e.g. Dolomedes)

Benthic Crustacean Arthropods

• Copepoda• Ostracoda• Isopoda• Amphipoda• Decapoda

Benthic Copepods

• Harpacticoida (8)

Ostracoda, c-g

• Seed Shrimp (e.g. Cypria, 8)

Isopoda, c-g

• Aquatic sow bugs (e.g. Asellus, 8)

Amphipoda, c-g

• Side swimmers or scuds– Hyalella (8)

– Gammarus (4-6)

Decapoda, c-g

• Crawfish (e.g. Orconectes)(6)

– (Procambarus)

• Glass Shrimp (e.g. Natania)

Orders of Aquatic Insects and Collembola

• Collembola -spring tails• Plecoptera –stoneflies• Ephemeroptera –mayflies• Odonota –dragonflies and damselflies• Hemiptera –true bugs• Megaloptera – dobsonflies (hellgrammites)• Neuroptera –spongillaflies• Coleoptera –beetles• Trichoptera –caddisflies• Diptera –flies, mosquitoes, and midges

Collembola (5-10), c-g

Plecoptera

• Winter and Spring Stoneflies– Broadbacks (e.g. Taeniopteryx, 2) shr

– Slender Winter Stoneflies (e.g. Capnia, 1-3) shr)

Plecoptera• Summer Stoneflies– Giant Stoneflies• Pteronarcys (0) shr

– Common Stoneflies• Perla (0-4) prd

Ephemeroptera

• Suborder Schistonota– Minnow-Like Mayflies• Ameletus (0)

c-g

• Isonychia (2)c-f

• Baetis (4-6)c-g

Ephemeroptera

• Suborder Schistonota– Flatheaded Mayflies• Epeorus (0) scr

Ephemeroptera

• Suborder Schistonota– Pronggills• Leptophlebia (4)

c-g

– Burrowers• Ephemera (2)

c-g

Ephemeroptera

• Suborder Pannota– Crawlers• Ephemerella (0-1) c-g

– Squaregills• Caenis (6-7) c-g

– Shellbacks• Baetisca (3-4) c-g

Odonata

• Zygoptera (Damselflies)– Broadwinged damselfly• Calopteryx (6) prd

– Spreadwinged damselfly• Lestes (6) prd

Odonata

• Aeshnoid Dragonflies – Graybacks, Clubtails, & Darners• Aeshna (3-5) prd

Odonata

• Biddies or Spiketails– Cordulegaster (3) prd

Odonata

• Skimmers– Epitheca (2-5)

prd

– Sympetrum prd(2 or 9 family)

Hemiptera, prd

• Backswimmers (Notonectids)– Buenoa

– Notonecta

Hemiptera, prd

• Water Scorpions (e.g. Nepa)

• Giant Water Bugs (e.g. Lethocerus)

Hemiptera, prd

• Water Boatman (Corixids – e.g. Sigara, 3-5)

• Water Striders (e.g. Gerris)

Megaloptera, prd• Alderflies (e.g. Sialis, 4)

• Dobsonflies (e.g. Corydalus, 4)

Neuroptera, prd

• Spongillaflies (e.g. Climacea)– (5)

Coleoptera

• Crawling Water Beetles (e.g. Haliplus, 5) shr

• Predaceous Diving Beetles (e.g. Dytiscus, 5) prd

Coleoptera

• Whirligig Beetles (e.g. Gyrinus, 4) prd

• Water Scavenger Beetles (e.g. Berosus, 4) c-g

Coleoptera

• Water Pennies (e.g. Psephenus, 4) scr

• Riffle Beetles (e.g. Stenelmis, 5) scr

Trichoptera

• Net Spinning Caddisflies– Fingernail netspinners (e.g. Chimarra 2-4) c-f

– Nettube Caddis (e.g. Psychomyia, 2) c-g

Trichoptera

• Net Spinning Caddisflies– Trumpetnet Caddis (e.g. Polycentropus, 6) prd

– Common Netspinners (e.g. Hydropsyche, 0-6) c-f

Trichoptera

• Free-living Caddisflies– Rhyacophila (0-1) prd

– Hydroptila (6) scr

Trichoptera

• Tubecase Makers– Humpless Case Makers (e.g. Brachycentrus, 0-1) c-f

– Northern Case Makers (e.g. Limnephilus, 3) shr

Trichoptera

• Tubecase Makers– Lepidostomid Case Makers (e.g. Lepidostoma, 1) shr

– Strongcase Makers (e.g. Psilotreta, 0) scr

Trichoptera

• Tubecase Makers– Snailcase Makers (e.g. Helicopsyche, 3) scr

– Longhorned Case Makers (e.g. Nectopsyche, 3) shr

Diptera

• Crane Flies (e.g. Tipula, 6) shr

• Phantom Crane Flies (e.g. Bittacomorpha, 9) c-g

Diptera

• Phantom Midges (e.g. Chaeoborus, 8) prd

• Mosquitoes c-f – Anopheles (8)

– Aedes (8)

– Culex (8)

Diptera

• Biting Midges (Culicoides, 10) prd

• Midges – Chironomus (9-10) c-g

– Tanytarsus (6) c-f

Diptera

• Black Flies (e.g. Simulium, 4-7) c-f

• Horse and Deer Flies (Tabanus, 5) prd

Diptera

• Rattailed Maggots (Eristalis, 10) c-g

• Shore Flies or Brine Flies (Ephydra, 6) shr