De Ridder, M.

Horizon / Pleins textes

Taxonomical and xoogeographical 
remarbs on Rotifera from 
the Ivory Coast (W. A frica) 
M. DE RIDDER (1) 
SUMMSRY 
In plancton samples from the Ivory Coast, we forrnd aberrant forms of Lecane hasfata and of Lepadella 
acuminaia. Taxonomical remarks are formulated for Brachionus quadriderdatus 0 uar. melheni u Barrois & Daday 
and for Br. mirabilis Daday. Br. angularis and Br. eaudatus without posterior spines cari be distinguished by the 
dimensions of the loriea. The ecology of Testudinella emarginula has been discussed. 
102 faxa are new for the Ivory Coast. Several species are mef wilh for the second or Ihe third time in Africa. 
KEY WORDS : Rotifers - Ivory Coast - Taxonomy, ecology and biogeography of several taxa. 
RÉSUMÉ 
REMARQUES TAXONOMIQUES ET ZOOGÉOGRAPHIQUES SUR LES ROTIFÈRES DE COTE D'IVOIRE 
(AFRIQUE DE L'OUEST) 
Dans des échantillons de plancton, provenant de la Côte d’ivoire, nous avons trouvé des formes aberrantes de 
Lecane hastafa et de Lepadella acuminata. Des remarques taxinomiques ont i!lé formulées pour Brachionus 
quadridentatus G var. melheni 1) Barrois Oc Daday ef pour Br. mirabilis Daday. Br. angularis et Br. caudafus sans 
épines postérieures se distinguent par la taille. L’écologie de Testudinella emarginula est discutée. 
102 taxa sont nouvelles pour la Côte d’ivoire. Certaines espèces se rencontrent pour la seconde ou la troisième 
fois en Afrique. 
hIOTS-CLÉS : Rotiféres - Cbte d’ivoire - Taxinomie, écologie et biogéographie de plusieurs taxa. 
INTRODUCTION 
In the course of investigations on zooplankton 
from the Ivory Coast (West-Africa), kindly put at 
our disposa1 by C. LÉVÊQUE and R. POURRI~T 
(Paris), we came across some interesting facts 
of taxonomical and zoogeographical nature. The 
samples were collected principally in the basin of 
t.he River Bandama, with some additions from the 
basins of Bagoe, Cavally and Comoe Rivers. Physical 
conditions and chemical composition of the waters 
concerned were studied by TLTIS and LÉVÊQUE 
(1952). For the River Cavally however, numerical 
values are very scarce. In the studies by the first 
author named, of the phytoplankton of the same 
rivers (ILTIS, 1982a, 19S2b and 1982c), Cavally 
River has not been t.aken into account. On the 
other hand, LÉVÊQUE rt al. (1983) only deal with the 
limnology of the Bandama River. From the above 
sources, we cari only conclude that t,he River Cavally, 
near Toulepleu, has a temperature between 230 and 
28 OC, and that the water is slightly alkaline 
(PH > 7). 
1. Description of new taxa 
1.1. Lecane cf. hastata 
In the sample of Cavally River, collect,ed near 
Toulepleu on 26/4/77, a few specimens were met 
with, which we believe to be closely related to 
(1) Université de l’État à Gand, Laboraforium voor Morfologie en Systematiek, Museum voor Dierkunde, K. L. Ledeganck- 
straat, 36, B 9000 Gent; Belgique. 
Rev. Hydrobiol. trop. 17 (4): 295-299 (1984). 
296 M. DE RIDDER 
Lecune hasfafa (MURRAY, 1913). This species has, as 
cari be deducted from figures in different textbooks, 
a very flexible lorica. 
The new taxon differs from Lecane hasfafa proper, 
by having a nearly circular lorica, a narrower 
ant.erior sinus and a sinuated posterior margin of 
the dorsal plate (fig. 1). Dimensions in km: 
length of dorsal plate: 90 
width of dorsal plate: 80 
length of ventral plate: 120 
witlth of ventral plate: 1 lü 
width of anterior sinus: 50 
dept.h of anterior sinus: 5 
1engt.h of toes: 45 
Irngth of nlaw: 20 
1.2. Lepadella cf. acuminata 
In the sample of Cavally River, collected near 
Danan& on 2314177, a single specimen was encount- 
ered, which we believe closely relat#ed to Lepadella 
acuminafa (Ehrb., 1834). It differs from Lepadella 
acuminafa proper, by having six ripples on the 
dorsal plate of the lorica (by which feat.ure it 
resembles t.he “f. sezcostata” Bartos, 1955), and by a 
widening of the posterior part of the lorica, forming 
a characteristic saillie on each side (fig. 2). 
Dimensions in p.m: 
length of lorica: 72 
width of lorica: 50 
depth of lorica: 21 
depth of anterior dorsal sinns: 5 
depth of antrrior ventral sinus: 20 
lengt,h of foot opening: 25 
width of foot opening: 10 
1engt.h of tocs: 25. 
2. Remarks on some other taxa 
2.1. The Brachionus quadridenlaius-group 
The taxon, described in 1894 by Barrois and 
Daday as Brachionus capsuliflorus var. melheni 
and as Brachionus quadridentafus var. melheni, is 
considered by KOSTE (1978: 73), as a valid sub- 
species, living in subtropical and tropical waters. 
It has long anterior spines of the lorica and slender, 
diverging post,erior ones. In the examined material 
from the Ivory Coast however, we found it in several 
samples (Pool near the bridge on the Nzi at Fétékro, 
7/7/77 - Pool east of Katiola, 22/8/77 - Pool, east 
of the bridge at Fétékro, 8/8/77 - Nzi at Fétékro, 
15/4 and 25/4/77 - Kossou, Dike, 7/4/77) in presence 
of the so-called nominate form. We conclude accord- 
ingly that “melheni” is only an infrasubspecific. 
taxon, not recognized by the International Code of 
Zoological Nomenclature. 
Heu. Hydrohiol. frop. 17 (4): 295-299 (1984). 
On the other hand, we found in the “Étang de 
Gonfreville” (9/11/77) and in the “Étang-barrage de 
Touro, SW de Katiola” (14/11/77) individuals which 
we attributed to Brachionus mirabilis Daday, 1897. 
This species was discovered in and described from 
New-Guinea. Afterwards, similar forms were found 
in Paraguay (DADAY, 1905); in Africa (Lake Malawi, 
Tanzania: DADAY, 1910; CUNNINGTON, 1920 and 
Ghana: RUSSELL, 1956) ; in N. America (FIorida, 
AHLSTROM, 1940); in Panama (HARRING, 1914); in 
S. America (Brasil: AHLSTROM, 1940; THOMASSON, 
1971; KOSTE, 1972 and 1974); Suriname (LEENTVAAR, 
1975). 
This so-called species is closely related to 
Brachionus quadkfenfatus HERMANN, 1783, which is 
cosmopolitan. It differs from the latter by its long 
median ant.erior and still longer posterior ventral 
spines, arising from the base of the foot opening. In 
a11 the figures we have seen (AHLSTROM, 1940, 
pl. XI, flgS. 5-8; THOhfASSON, 1971, pl. xx, fi@. 1-3; 
KOSTE, 1972, pl. 8; ID., 1974, pl. II, figs. la-b) these 
posterior spines have a length, equal at least to 
2/3 of the length of t,he lorica. 
Tn the individuals we found however (fig. 3) the 
posterior ventral spines only reach half the length 
of t.he lorica or less. Dimensions of one specimen in 
prn: 
total length of lorica: 185 
length of median anterior spines: 37 
iength of posterior ventral spines: 45 
length of pnsterior spines: 65 
In this way, our forms seem to be intermediate 
between Brachionus quadridenfafus and Brachionus 
mirabilis. Therefore, and considering that the 
localities, where Brachionus mirabilis has been met 
with, are situated thousands of kilometres from each 
other, SO that the known individuals hardly cari 
have descended from a common ancestor, we 
conclude that, Brachionus mirabilis is only a member 
in the large variation series of Brachionus quadriden- 
tafus. Accordingly, we consider it has no taxonomie 
status and note it as Brachionus quadridentafus 
“f. mirabilis” DADAY, 1897, and withdraw it from 
the species and subspecies (KOSTE, 1978: 75) status. 
2.2. Brachionus angularis and Brachionus caudafus 
GREEN (1977) described dwarfism of Brachionus 
caudafus in tropical crater-lakes and gave figures of 
dwarf individuals from the River Sokot.0 (Nigeria). 
One may wonder if these dwarfs cari be mistaken 
for Brachionus angularis. In our material, both 
species occurred together in several samples: 
Etang de Touro, prbs Katiola (30/6/77). 
Fbtékro, mare à l’est du pont (19/5 and 29/8/77). 
REMARKS ON ROTIFERA FROM THE IVORY COAST 297 
fig. 1 fig. 3 
fig. 2b ig. 2a 
I I I I 1 1 
0 50 pm 
FIÜ. 1. - Lecane cf. haslaia, dorsal view; FIG. 2. - Lepddella cf. acuminata: a: ventral view; b: side view; FIG. 3. - Brachionus 
quadridenfafus f. mirabilis 
Maraoue à Entomokro (7/4/77). 
Barrage vers usine de café de Tombokro (21/4/77). 
Randama à Bada (15/4 and 26/4/77). 
Barrage usine de café sud de la route de Bouaflé (21/4/77). 
Pont de la Maraout!, au sud de Kossou (7/-f and 21/4/77). 
whilst they occurred separately on several other 
occasions. 
Length of lorica 
in pm 
Barrage vers usine de caf6 de Tombokro.. 60 to 75 
Étang de Touro.. . . . . . . . , . . . . . . . . . , . . . . . . 70 to 90 
Mare barrage rural à l’est de Katiola., . . . . . 60 to 95 
Barrage du Kan, a Bouake.. . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 to 92 
Brachionus’ angularis was always very small in 
t,he material examined (cf. KOSTE, 1978: 92): 
Eggs were also very small (cf. KOSTE, ibid.): from 
55 x40 to 60 x40 pm. 
Rev. Hydrobiol. trop. 17 (4): 2!15-299 (1984). 
2.98 RI. DE RIDDER 
In most cases, Brachionus caudatus displayed 
posterior spines. In t,he “Barrage vers usine de 
café de Tombokro” however, individuals with 
and individuals without posterior spines occurred 
together. The latter form had a frequency double of 
that of the former. Dimensions of bath forms were 
difl’erent: 
the thesis of its stenothermism for low temperatures 
has to be abandoned. 
4. Species, rare in Africa 
For following species, our records are the second 
for the African continent: 
Length of lorica 
in km 
~- 
Colurella anodonfa (previous record: DE RI~DER, 1981: 
Luangwa Valley, Zambia, 
Ind. with spines (spine length = 30 à 40 pm). 145 to 162 
Ind. without spines.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 to 125 
The proportion of egg-earrying individuals was t.he 
same in both forms (50 y.4). Egg dimensions: 
80x60 km. 
Lecane hasfafa (previous record: DE RIDDER, 1983: Basse 
Casamance, Sénégal). 
Lecane DusiIZa (nrevious record: BERZINS. 1959: Sén&al). 
Lepadelia (H.) héferodacfyla ’ 
-. Microcodon clauus \ 
DE RID~ER, 1983: Basse Casa- 
Trichocerca flagellafa i 
mance. 
Two conclusions cari be made: 
Trichocerca .mÿersi (previoui record: POURRI~T, 1971: Lake 
LBré). 
(a) In the case of Brachionus angularis and Bra- 
chionzzs caudalus without posterior spines, occurring 
in t.he same sample, the difference in dimensions 
permit,s an exact determination to species level; 
Trichocerca mus has been met with for the third 
time in African waters (previous records: POURRI~T, 
1968: Lake Tchad, and NOGRADI, 1983: Lake 
Naivasha, Kenya). 
(b) Brachionzzs caudatus without posterior spines 
does not always make part of a cyclomorphosis, as 
postulated by GREEN (1960). 
5. Species new to the Ivory Coast 
3. Ecology of Testzzdinella emarginula 
Fide KOSTE, 1978: 533, this species is cold 
stenothermical. Tt has however been met with in 
Africa on several occasions: Shaba (GILLARD, 1952), 
Tanganyika (ID., 1957), Lake Albert, Uganda 
(GREEN, 1967), Lake Tchad (POURRI~T, 1968), 
Lake Bangweulu and Luapula Basin (DE RIDDER, 
1981), Basse Casamance, Sénégal (ID., 1983), Sudan 
(ID., 1984). 
In the material from the Ivory Coast, Testudinella 
emarginula was present in water having a temperature 
of 28,5 OC (Bagoé at Kouto, 14/6/77). As a conclusion, 
Publications on the Rotifers of the Ivory Coast 
are sc.arce: DE BEAUCHAMP (1955), RAHM (1964), 
LAMOOT (1967) and YTE, REY and POURRI~T (1953). 
They t,otal a number of 39 taxa, identified to species 
level. As a result of our investigations, 102 t,axa are 
new for the country considered. They are marked 
with an (N) after the name in DE RIDDER and 
POURRI~T (1984). Most of these taxa are peri- 
phytic. Without doubt, they find a suitable ecological 
niche between the aquatic vegetation described by 
LÉVÊQUE d Cd. (1983). 
Manuscrit recu au Service des Édifions de PORSTOM le 
7 septembre 1984 
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Taxonomical and zoogeographical remarks on rotifera from the Ivory Coast (W. Africa)

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