Diversity and distribution of Brachionidae (Rotifera) in Thailand, with a key to the species

We investigated the diversity of brachionid rotifers in Thailand. Rotifers were collected from a wide range of habitat types (294 sites, 508 samples) including canals, lakes, peat swamps, ponds, reservoirs, rice fields, rivers, swamps and temporary ponds from April 1998 to January 2004. Twenty-eight species including 11 infrasubspecific forms belonging to five genera were identified. The most frequently encountered species was Brachionus falcatus (50.7% of the sampling sites), followed by Keratella cochlearis (50%), B. angularis (49.7%), K. tropica (46.3%) and B. forficula (45.9%). Less frequently encountered species were B. caudatus, B. durgae and B. urceolaris. These species were found in low abundances and only in a single site. Two sites in the Northeast – Nong Changpeuak and Bueng Srithat – recorded the greatest richness with 15 taxa, whereas no brachionid rotifers were found in 31 sites. On average, the species richness was five taxa per sampling site. A key to the genera and species of Thai brachionid rotifers is provided