Macrobenthic fauna of Great Lake, Arthurs Lake and Lake Sorell, Tasmania

Abstract

The benthic fauna of Great Lake, Arthurs Lake and Lake Sorell, Tasmania, contained 88 species, with 48-55 species in each lake. All three lakes had abundant and generally similar chironomid faunas. Arthurs Lake and Great Lake shared common oligochaete species of which only some were numerous in Lake Sorell. The crustacean faunas of each lake differed in composition and abundance, with amphipod species being the most abundant group in Arthurs Lake. Gastropod molluscs were the most abundant group in the fauna of Lake Sorell, and chironomids were most numerous in Great Lake. Species composition and abundance in these three lakes are compared to those of other Australian lakes. Numbers of species in Australian lakes as a whole are critically discussed with respect to numbers in lakes elsewhere.