Distribution of planktonic microcrustaceans (Cladocera and Copepoda) in lentic and lotic environments from the semiarid region in northeastern Brazil

Abstract The present study aimed to inventory the biodiversity of planktonic microcrustaceans (Cladocera and Copepoda) in 44 environments from the semiarid region of Brazil, increasing the knowledge about zooplankton community, including phytophilous species. Between 2011 and 2017, organisms were collected in a non - systematic way in the states of Rio Grande do Norte, Pernambuco, Ceará and Paraíba. A total of 60 species of planktonic microcrustaceans were identified, of which 52 were cladocerans and eight were copepods. The basin that presented the highest richness was Pajeú River with 41 species. Nevertheless, the extrapolated number of species shows an increasing tendency for this basin. The genus composition was different between the basins, with Moxotó basin (Pernambuco) being isolated from the others, probably since lagoons were the only type of environment sampled in this basin. Richness and abundance patterns were higher for the basins where sampling was mainly performed in lentic environments, such as Pajeú and Moxotó. Microcrustacean inventories and long-term studies need to be conducted more frequently to better understand the biodiversity of continental aquatic ecosystems in the semiarid region of Brazil.