Biodiversity of Rotifers

Dear Colleagues,

Rotifera are an amazing Phylum containing more than 2000 valid species described up to date. They are microscopic organisms found in both marine and freshwater systems, from large permanent lakes to small temporal puddles, from natron to acidic lakes, and from hyperoligotrophic lakes to sewage ponds. They represent a taxonomic challenge in several ways, while the limited number of morphological traits along with the vast range of plasticity halts the identification of their true diversity. Molecular tools assist, to that end, in unravelling a great number of cryptic species in the Phylum. Combined in an integrative approach with morphology and ecology, they contribute to accurate species description, which is fundamental in order to explain patterns of biological diversity and biogeography, understand population genetic processes, detect ecological divergence, and ultimately assess the ways in which ecosystems function. Rotifers, due to their short generation time and their reproductive mode, show rapid local adaptations, making them useful indicators of environmental change. The patterns of rotifer diversity can identify disturbance in aquatic ecosystems and assist in trophic state and water quality assessment, while the rotifer community (both in terms of composition and seasonal succession) plays a very important role in ecosystem functioning.

Dr. Evangelia Michaloudi
Guest Editor

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