Reproduction of Potamothrix hammoniensis (Oligochaeta) in shallow eutrophic lakes

The aim of the study was to indicate the abiotic parameters of water and bottom sediments, which significantly affect the reproduction of Potamothrix hammoniensis in 9 shallow eutrophic lakes, of which 5 were dominated by macrophytes and 4 – by phytoplankton. Samples were collected once a month from January to December 2012.

The percentage of Potamothrix hammoniensis individuals with a developed reproductive system varied in individual lakes and ranged from 14 to 72%. There was no correlation between the distinguished lake types and the proportion of sexually mature individuals. The reproductive activity was not observed in summer and early autumn. Among the measured parameters, the highest values of the Pearson correlation coefficient were found between the percentage of individuals with a developed reproductive system and the conductivity (r = 0.69; p < 0.001), pH (r = 0.51; p = 0.002) and the organic matter content in the sediments (r = −0.42; p = 0.012). It is worth noting that there was no correlation between the percentage of sexually mature specimens and the water temperature (r = −0.22, p = 0.204) and the oxygen concentration (r = −0.08; p = 0.648).