Diversity of Groundwater Crustaceans in Wells in Various Geologic Formations of Southern Poland

Abstract

Data on Crustacea from underground waters accessed through wells are limited in Poland. A recent study was undertaken to determine diversity and factors influencing the crustacean communities inhabiting wells drilled in three bedrocks, Jurassic limestone, Cretaceous marls and flysch. A total of 23 crustacean species and subspecies were recorded belonging to Copepoda, Ostracoda, Amphipoda and Bathynellacea. Only four species of low abundance, however, were stygobionts. Our studies showed that abundance and species number of Copepoda and Ostracoda were affected by bedrock geology (with higher abundances and species richness in wells of Cretaceous marls), and in the case of copepods, also by sampling season. Furthermore, this paper lists all species of Crustacea recorded from inland groundwater habitats of Poland based published over the last 133 years. The most species-rich group was Copepoda with 43 representatives (four stygobites), followed by Ostracoda and Amphipoda with a total of 37 and 12 species, respectively (each with nine stygobites). In addition, two species of Isopoda (one stygobite) and one Bathynellid appear in the checklist. The checklist identifies geographical (and environmental) gaps which require further research.