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Afrotropical inland waters remain poorly studied for rotifer diversity. Here, we provide new distribution data from Botswana and connect these local patterns to continental-scale biogeography using an Africa–Europe occurrence dataset. In Botswana, we analyzed rotifer species richness, functional traits, and environmental drivers using 37 samples from 15 water bodies spanning natural and anthropogenic habitats. We recorded 107 rotifer taxa: 92 identified to species or subspecies level, 14 to genus, and one group of unidentified bdelloids. Seventy taxa (~65%) are new records for Botswana, and one species, Donneria sudzukii, is reported for the first time in Africa. Physicochemical gradients explained community structure, with the first two constrained RDA axes accounting for 40.7% and 23.7% of variation. Axis 1 captured a mineralization gradient linked to total dissolved solids and temperature, whereas Axis 2 reflected oxygen concentration and pH. Traits tracked these gradients: warmer, more mineralized waters were associated with specific trophi types, compact body shapes, and intermediate body sizes, whereas less mineralized, better oxygenated sites were related to smaller taxa and alternative feeding morphologies. To place these trait–environment relationships in a broader geographic context, we then analyzed an Africa–Europe dataset (67,170 records) to quantify latitudinal patterns in thermal classes and morphological traits (geometric body shape and trophi type). Diversity showed clear latitudinal structuring: warm-water genera clustered at low latitudes, only Kellicottia and Didymodactylos had mean distributions above 50° N, and bdelloid families were associated with higher latitudes. Morphological traits also varied with latitude, with trilateral truncated pyramid body shapes and malleoramate trophi occurring closest to the equator. Overall, by combining new species-level data from Botswana with continent-scale occurrence patterns, we link local community assembly to macroecological structure in rotifer functional and biogeographical organization.
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Trait-Based Research on Rotifera: The Holy Grail or Just Messy?
In recent years, trait-based research on plankton has gained interest because of its potential to uncover general roles in ecology. While trait categories for phytoplankton and crustaceans have been posited, rotifer trait assessment has lagged behind. Here, we reviewed the literature to assess traits key to their life histories and provided a data matrix for the 138 valid genera of phylum Rotifera. We considered seven traits: habitat type, trophi type, presence of lorica and foot, predation defense attributes, corona type, and feeding traits. While most traits were morphological attributes and supposedly easy to assess, we were faced with several challenges regarding trait assignment. Feeding traits were especially difficult to assess for many genera because relevant information was missing. Our assembled trait matrix provides a foundation that will initiate additional research on rotifer functional diversity, diminish the misclassification of rotifer genera into trait categories, and facilitate studies across trophic levels.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2051710
- PAR ID:
- 10492500
- Editor(s):
- Manca, M.M. Granata
- Publisher / Repository:
- Water
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Water
- Volume:
- 15
- Issue:
- 8
- ISSN:
- 2073-4441
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 1459
- Subject(s) / Keyword(s):
- aquatic ecology functional ecology corona community dynamics food guild ratio functional groups rotifer trophi
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
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Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Article:
- https://doi.org/10.3390/w15081459
