Appendix - 2
 

Keys for identification of some of the commonly occurring freshwater zooplankton

Rotifera

Class: Monogononta
Order: Ploimida, Flosulariceae and Collothecaceae
I. Order: Ploimida
  1. Family: Epiphanidae
  Lorica absent, body transparent, sometimes sacciform with true tufts of cilia. Trophi mallaete type.
  Genus: Epiphanes
 
a. Epiphanes clavulata
The body expands dorsally towards posterior, ventrally straight. Corona has five styligerous prominences each with fur like arrangement of slender styles. Antennae dorsal, gonod ribbon like and bent as a horseshoe. Foot short with small toe.
  b. Epiphanes macrourus
Body saccate with three tufts of cilia. Dorsal antennae present. Foot long and segmented with short toes.
  Genus: Mikrocodides
  a. Microcodies chlaena Body cylindrical, gradually narrowing posteriorly. Foot broad, segmented with a prominent spur on the dorsal side near the toe. Toe single, broad and tapering into a point. The organism looks like a shell.
  Genus: Liliferotrocha
  a. Liliferotrocha subtilis Body elongate and cylindrical. Dorsal antennae prominent. Toes slender, short, triangular and pointed. The body as such cannot be divided into head trunk and foot. Foot is not prominent and body irregular in shape.
 

2. Family: Brachionidae
 
Mostly stout rotifers, planktonic, lorica heavy and dorso-ventrally flattened, often carrying visible spines or projections or ringed foot. Trophi malleate type. The oral opening is funnel like in the buccal field with a simple circumapical band of cilia. Corona lacks hood or lamellae. The body is somewhat rounded in shape with most of the members of the family.
  Genus: Anuraeopsis
 
a. Anuraeopsis fissa Lorica with two plates, dorsal and ventral with lateral sulci. Dorsal plate arched and ventral plate flat. The foot part is lobe shaped with no prominent toe. Prominent dorsal antennae.
 
Genus: Brachionus
 
a. Brachionus angularis Lorica stippled, with two very small projections in the occipital margin. Posterior spines absent. No foot part and toes.
 
b. Bracionus aculeatus flateralis Lorica stippled with four occipital spines of equal length. Posterior lateral spine apart with tooth like projections on the inner side
 
c. Brachionus budapestinensis var punctatus Lorica stiff and stipples with four occipital spines of which median are longer than lateral.
 
d. Brachionus caudatus Lorica with four occipital spines, the lateral slightly longer than the median. Posterior spines are long. The body is slightly oval in shape. The occipital spines are small.
 
e. Brachionus diversicornis Lorica is elongated (different from other Brachionus species) with four occipital spines with lateral spines much longer than the median. Right posterior spine is longer than left. Foot long and toes with characteristic claws.
 
f. Brachionus forficula f typicus – urawensis Lorica with four occipital spines. Posterior spines stippled and bowed inwards with characteristic knee like swellings at the inner side. This species is similar to B. aculeatus in the occipital spine region but differs in shape of body and posterior spines.
 
g. Brachionus calyciflorua Lorica flexible, smooth. Anterior margin with stout spines, broad at the base and with rounded tips. Median spines slightly longer than the laterals. Posterior spines absent. This species has many polymorphic forms, which have posterior spines.
 
h. Brachionus falcatus Anterior dorsal margin with six equal spines, the medians log and curved out ward at the end. Posterior spines very long, bent inwards and in some forms almost touch each other at their tips.
 
Genus: Plationus
 
a. Plationus patulas
 
Occipital margin with six species of which medians slightly longer than the outer ventral margin with four spines. Posterior lateral spines are longer than the median.
 
Genus: Keratella
 
a. Keratella cochlearis
 
Lorica with strong median spine. Dosrum with characteristic median longitudinal line, with symmetrically arranged plaques on either side. Foot is present with toes.
 
b. Keratella procurva
 
Three median plaques on the dorsum, the posterior one is pentagonal and terminates in a short median line. Posterior margin of lorica is narrower than the anterior. Posterior spines are short and sub equal and sometimes absent. The median spines on the occipital part are longer than lateral spines.
 
c. Keratella quadrata
 
Three median plaques on the dorsal side of the lorica, the posterior one has a common border with posterior margin of the lorica. The posterior spines are sub equal. The body is segmented into polygonal shapes.
 
Genus: Notholca
 
a. Notholca lebis
 
Lorica oval, dorsoventrally flat with six spines at occipital margin, the medians and laterals of same length. Posterior end of lorica with broad blunt process. Posterior margin truncated.
 
Genus: Platyas
 
a. Platyas quadricornis
 
Lorica firm, stippled, dorsoventrally compressed with regular patterns of facets. Occipital margin with two stout spines having truncated ends. Posterior spines equal in length. At the posterior end there is an antennae like structure. Body is rounded in shape.
 
3. Family: Euchlanidae
 
Body dorso-ventrally flattened with thin lorica, usually lacking any projections. Two prominent toes are present.
 

Genus: Euchlanis

 
a. Euchlanis dialatata
 
Lorica with dorsal and ventral plates with longitudinal sulci. Dorsal plate with ‘U' shaped notvh posteriorly. Mastax with four club shaped teeth on each uncus. Foot slender and two jointed. Toes blade-like and fusiform.
 
b. Euchlanis brahmae
 
Body truncated anteriorly and rounded behind, triradiate in cross-section. Dorsal plate laterally produced into flanges and with a dorsal median keel extending its entire length. Posterior notch absent. Ventral plate absent, but a thin membrane joins dorso-laterally. Mastax with four clubbed shaped teeth on each uncus. Foot two-jointed. Toes slender parallel sided tapering into points and one-third of the length of the dorsal plate.
 

Genus: Dipleuchlanis

 
a. Dipleuchlanis propatula
 
Lorica oval, dorsal plate is concave and smaller than the ventral. Both the plates have shallow sinuses at the anterior margin. Toes long, parallel sided and ending in points.
 

Genus: Tripleuchlanis

 
a. Tripleuchlanis plicata
 
Dorsal plate of lorica with emargination posteriorly. Ventral plate is of same size as the dorsal. Lateral sulci separated by cuticular flange giving bellow like folds laterally. Trophi malleate type with six opposing teeth on each incus, Foot glands long including a pair of accessories. Foot three jointed, first joint covered by cuticular plate. Toes short. Lorica has an ornamented pattern with core shaped foot.
 

Genus: Euchlanis

 
a. Euchlanis dialatata
 
Lorica with dorsal and ventral plates with longitudinal sulci. Dorsal plate with ‘U' shaped notvh posteriorly. Mastax with four club shaped teeth on each uncus. Foot slender and two jointed. Toes blade-like and fusiform.
 
b. Euchlanis brahmae
 
Body truncated anteriorly and rounded behind, triradiate in cross-section. Dorsal plate laterally produced into flanges and with a dorsal median keel extending its entire length. Posterior notch absent. Ventral plate absent, but a thin membrane joins dorso-laterally. Mastax with four clubbed shaped teeth on each uncus. Foot two-jointed. Toes slender parallel sided tapering into points and one-third of the length of the dorsal plate.
 

Genus: Dipleuchlanis

 
a. Dipleuchlanis propatula
 
Lorica oval, dorsal plate is concave and smaller than the ventral. Both the plates have shallow sinuses at the anterior margin. Toes long, parallel sided and ending in points.
 

Genus: Tripleuchlanis

 
a. Tripleuchlanis plicata
 
Dorsal plate of lorica with emargination posteriorly. Ventral plate is of same size as the dorsal. Lateral sulci separated by cuticular flange giving bellow like folds laterally. Trophi malleate type with six opposing teeth on each incus, Foot glands long including a pair of accessories. Foot three jointed, first joint covered by cuticular plate. Toes short. Lorica has an ornamented pattern with core shaped foot.
 

Genus: Pseudoeuchlanis

   
a. Pseudoeuchlanis longipedis
 
Dorsal plate of lorica with anterior margin raised in the middle into small non-retractile semicircular plate and without a notch in posterior end. Ventral side is membranous, lateral sulci absent. Foot slender. Long ending in points and three-fourth length of dorsal plate. Trophi malleate, six slender club-shaped teeth on each uncus. Stomach gastric gland and foot glands present.
 

4. Family: Mytilinidae

Body stout and laterally compressed. In some species, often ringed lorica, cylindrical. Foot with indistinct segments.
 

Genus: Mytilina

 
a. Mytilina ventralis
 
Body cylindrical, lorica firm with dorsal ridges. Anterior end of the lorica stippled and with curved short spines at the margin, posteriorly with single dorsal and two ventral spines of equal length in the typical form. Foot indistinctly segmented and toes ending in blunt points
 

5. Family: Trichotridae

 
Body stout, lorica stiff and stippled, foot with triangular spines in some species. Toes slender and long.
 

Genus: Trichotria

 
a. Trichotria tetractis
 
Antero lateral margins pointed with the spiny projections. Dorsum stiff, stippled and with usual plates and ridges. Foot joints also stippled. Penultimate foot segment with air of triangular spines. Toes slender, long and ending in points.
 
6. Family: Collurellidae
 

Head of these animals in some cases has a semicircular, nonretractable, transparent hood like extension. Lateral eyespot present. In some species, one or two very long spines in the midline of the back are present. One or two very long spines in the midline of the back are present.

 
Genus: Colurella
 

a.   Colurella bicuspidate

 
Lorica with two lateral plates, like mussel shell, smooth and laterally compressed. Lorical plates join an abdominal area leaving long openings near anterior and posterior ends. Foot jointed and toes small and pointed.
 
Genus: Lepadella
 
b. Lepadella acuminata
 

Lorica oval in shape with a pointed projection at the posterior end. Toes small, narrow and pointed.

 

7. Family: Lecanidae

 
Dorso-ventrally flattened, more or less rigid lorica, and divided into dissimilar dorsal and ventral plates connected by a soft sulcus. Mouth opening is not funnel shaped in the buccal field. Foot protrudes through an opening in the ventral plate carrying one or two long toes, in some partially fused toes.
 

Genus: Lecane

 
a. Lecane papuana
 
Lorica sub-circular, anterior dorsal margin straight and ventral with ‘V' shaped sinus. Ventral plate slightly narrower than the dorsal. Second foot joint robust. Toes two, slender, parallel sided ending in claws with basal spicule.
 

8. Family: Notammatidae

 
Littoral. Trophi virgate and sometimes asymmetric. Body slender, elongated and soft. Corona is characterized by ventrally tilted buccal field. A small apical field and thin, usually large retractable ciliated ears. Foot short and stout, toes stubby.
 

Genus: Cephadella

 
a. Cephalodella catellina
 
Body transparent and gibbous. Lateral clefts of lorica parallel sided. Foot small and posterior to the projecting abdomen. Toes short, nearly straight, tapering into acute points.
 
b. Notommata copeus
 
Body elongate and transparent. Head, neck and abdomen marked by transverse folds. Corona projects as bluntly pointed chin. Tail is characteristic with conical projection ending with blunt point. Toes slender and conical, foot glands long and club shaped. Dorsal antennae stout and long. Trophi asymmetrical, the left prevails over the right. Manubrium long and curved inwards. Stomach is seen distinctly.
 

9. Family: Asplanchnidae

 
Cuticle thin and delicate, body sac like or pear or conical shaped. Sometimes wing like side appendages present, trophi incudate, corona reduced to a circumapical band.
 

Genus: Asplanchna

 
a. Asplanchna brightwelli
 
Body large, saccate and transparent. Intestine, foot and toes are absent. Trophi incudate with rami having horn like projections at outer margins of the base and inner spine at the middle.
 

10 . Family: Synchaetidae

 
Trophi modified virgate or virgate, complex pair of hypopharyngeal muscles sometimes present. Saclike or conical or bell shaped, transparent and soft body.
 

Genus: Polyarthra

 
a. Polyarthra indica
 
Body illoricate and little squarish. Four groups of lateral paddles inserted dorsally and ventrally in the neck region. Each group with three paddles of equal length extending beyond the posterior and of the body. Accessory pair of ventral paddles present between ventral bundles.
II. Order: Flosulariceae
 

1. Family: Hexaarthridae

 
Body transparent and conical, carries six heavily muscled arm like appendages tipped with feathery setae.
 

Genus: Hexarthra

 
a. Hexarthra intermedia
 
Body large, ventral arm with one pair of hooks and eight filaments. Unicellular five teeth, lower lip and foot are absent. Indistinct antennae on the dorsal side below the corona. Corona is rounded structure surrounded by cilia. The right arm is longer than the left.
 

2. Family: Filinilidae

 
Pelagic, body delicate, saclike, three or four appendages present, which can be long spines or stout thorns.
 

Genus: Filinia

 
a. Filinia longiseta
 
Body oval and transparent with long anterior skipping and a posterior spine on the ventral side. Spine not bulged, foot absent. The body is segmented into head and trunk.
 

3. Family: Testudinellidae

 
Lorica thin, dorso-ventrally flattened, round or shield like armour, body transparent. In some species foot is absent.
 
Genus: Testudinella
 
a. Testudinella mucronata
 
Lorica nearly circular, slightly stippled and anterior dorsal margin with a blunt tooth like projection. Foot opening ventral and at one-third distance from the posterior end. Foot is distinctly segmented with toes.
III. Order: Collothecaceae
 

1. Family: Collothecidae

 
Almost entirely sessile, these rotifers have an expanded funnel shaped anterior end and live mostly in a gelatinous case, attached to the substratum by a long foot and disc. The funnel may cause a variable number of scalloped lobes that are studded with bristles, setae or cilia.
 

Genus: Collotheca

 
a. Collotheca ornate
 
Corona with five short blunt lobes arranged pentagonally with long cilia. Posterior part covered by transparent long gelatinous case. Hold fast short. The body narrows down posteriorly into a long tail portion.
 
Cladocera:
 
1. Family: Sididae
 

Genus: Diaphanosoma

 

Head is large, without rostrum and ocellus. Antennules are small and truncated. Dorsal ramus of antennae is two segmented. Post abdomen is without anal spine and claw with three basal spines.

 

2. Family: Daphnidae

 
Antennules are small, immobile or rudimentary. Antennae are long and cylindrical. Dorsal ramus consists of 4 segments and 3 ventral segments. Post abdomen distinctly set off from the body, usually more or less compressed and always with anal spines. Claws are mostly denticulate or pectinate. This family consists of five pairs of legs and first two pairs are prehensile and without branchial lamellae.
 

Genus: Ceriodaphnia

 
Body forms are rounded or oval in shape. Valves oval or round to sub-quadrate and usually ending posteriorly, sharp spine present. Head small and depressed. Antennules are small and not freely movable.
 

3. Family: Moinidae

 
Moinids are characterized by their head with a pair of long and thin cigarette shaped antennules. These arise from ventral surface of the head. Most species have hairs on head region or on shell surface. Ocellus is usually absent. Post abdomen has single row of teeth with no marginal spine.
 

Genus: Moina

 
Body is thick and heavy. Valves are thin, reticulated or striated. Antennules are large and movable: they originate from the flat surface of the head. Eye is located in the center of the head. Ocellus is rarely present. Post abdomen with bident tooth and 3-16 featured teeth is present.
 

4. Family: Bosminidae

 
Body is short and usually oval or rounded in outline. Antennules are large and immovably fixed to head. They have no ocellus, abdominal process consists of six pairs of legs.
 

Genus: Bosmina

 
Body is usually transparent. Antennules are almost parallel to each other. Antennae with 3 or 4 segmented rami. Post abdomen almost quadrate.
 

5. Family: Chydoridae

 
Body is generally oval in shape. Head is completely enclosed with in carapace. Antennules are one segmented and generally not extending beyond the tip of the rostrum. Antennae are short and consist of 3 segmented rami. Post abdomen consists of anal spines and lateral setae.
 

Subfamily: Chydorinae

 
Width of the body generally greater than the length. Head pores are separated and situated in the median line of head shield. Anus situated in proximal part of post abdomen.
 

Genus: Pleuroxus

 
Rostrum is long and pointed. Ocellus is smaller than eye. Post abdominal claws consists of two basal spines.
 

Subfamily: Aloninae

 
Head has two or three head pores situated in median line of head with two small pores located at either side. Claws consist of single basal spine or sometimes without basal spines.
 
Genus: Alona
 
Body subquadrate in outline. Values are rectangular and marked with lines. Three main connected head pores are situated at the median line of the head shield. Rostrum is short and blunt. Anus is situated in proximal part of post abdomen.
 
Copepoda
 

I. Order: Calanoida

 

1. Family: Diaptomidae

 

Endopodite of P1 two segmented, endopodite of P2-P4 three segmented and P5 with endopodite in both sexes.

 

II. Order: Cyclopoida

 

2. Family: Cyclopoidae

 
Mandibular palp not well developed, reduced to one segment with three setae.