Notes on the Hyporheic Rotifera of the Ninnescah River, Kansas, USA

Rotifers present in North American lotic interstitial habitats, rarely have been documented in the literature. This type of habitat in the Ninnescah River was examined for rotifers in June, July, September, and November 1993 and January 1994. A 9-cm deep core was taken from the submerged bed of the river and immediately divided into three equal 3 cm subsamples. The resultant aliquots were examined and all rotifers were identified and enumerated. Twenty-four species, comprising 10 genera, were identified. Many rotifers of the Order Bdelloidea were unidentifiable, but three of these were distinguishable to the genera Dissotrocha and Rotaria and one to a probable new variant of Dissotrocha aculeata. The species occurring in greatest numbers were Encentrum velox, Lecane luna, L. papuana, L. inermis, and Lepadella patella, respectively.