Daily changes of the vertical micro-distribution of Rotifera in lake psammolittoral

Studies were conducted in littoral sand deposits of a eutrophic, deep lake (Lake Mikołajskie, Masurian Lakeland, Poland) in aim to test the hypothesis that epihydroarenal (the most upper layer of sand deposits) may play a role of a refuge from visual predators for rotifers from adjacent water layer. However, a comparison of the daily vertical distribution of the rotifer community structure and densities in microlayers of the lake psammolittoral, i.e. adjacent water layer (5.0–0.0 cm), epihydroarenal (0–0.5 cm) and three microlayers of endohydroarenal (0.5–1.0 cm, 1.0–1.5 cm and 1.5–2.0 cm) revealed a lack of up-and-down vertical migrations of the animals. During day and night hours, both on 5/6 and 11/12 July, rotifers were concentrated in epihydroarenal. In all cases 64 to 85% of rotifer community inhabited this layer, whereas up to 4% occurred in adjacent water layer. Large and permanently renewed food resources (algae and bacteria) in the most upper layer of sand deposits form a very thin layer that can be called “a canteen”. This may explain permanent concentration of rotifers in the layer.