Distribution of cyclopoid copepods in different subterranean habitats (southern Poland)

The majority of Polish studies on freshwater cyclopoids focused on surface water fauna. There are relatively few data on copepods of subterranean waters. Thus, in our research, copepods were collected from 37 different, mostly groundwater-dependent habitats (i.e. caves, springs, wells, interstitial and overhead environments) over a period of five years between 2005 and 2010. A total of 22 species belonging to eight genera were found. Some species, previously not recorded or known only from a few sites in Poland, proved to be a frequent component of subterranean communities.