Macrozooplankton communities in Lake Tanganyika indicate food chain differences between the northern part and the main basins

• Published in: Hydrobiologia Vol. 407; pp. 123 - 129
• Main Authors: KURKI, H, MANNINI, P, VUORINEN, I, ARO, E, MÖLSÄ, H, LINDQVIST, O. V
• Format: Conference Proceeding Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer 15-07-1999; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Africa, Tanganyika L; Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Aquatic ecosystems; Biological and medical sciences; Cnidaria; Congo; Copepoda; Decapoda; Food chains; Fresh water ecosystems; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Lakes; Lates stappersii; Synecology; Tanzania; East African Lakes; Lake Tanganyika; Africa; Predator prey relation; Spatial variation; Macrura; Crustacea; Freshwater environment; Trophic chain; Coelenterata; Seasonal variation; Pisces; Ecosystem; Cnidaria; Copepoda; Decapoda; Content analysis; Community structure; Fauna; Pelagic zone; North south component; Vertebrata; Animal community; Macrofauna; Arthropoda; Invertebrata; Zooplankton; Population density
• ISSN: 0018-8158; 1573-5117
• DOI: 10.1023/A:1003745716238

Medusae predominate the macrozooplankton in the northernmost part of Lake Tanganyika, while shrimps are more abundant towards the south. In the stomach contents of centropomidae Lates stappersii (one of the four nile perch species in the lake), there were more shrimps both in percentage and frequency in Mpulungu area in the south, than in Kigoma area in the north where the diet of L. stappersii contained bigger proportion of copepods. The results suggest differences in the food chains of the northern and southern pelagic ecosystems of Lake Tanganyika. Food chain differences, probably arise basically from different patterns of mixing, due to seasonal winds and orientation of the lake relative to wind.[PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]