Aquatic oligochaetes (Annelida: Clitellata) of seven lakes in the Ceyhan River basin (Turkey)

Oligochaeta samples were collected from seven lakes (2 natural and 5 non-natural) of Ceyhan River basin during the summer and autumn seasons of 2014. The Ceyhan River basin is located in the south-eastern Anatolia region in Turkey. Lakes G¨olba¸sı and Azaplı are located in a protected area. Some physico-chemical parameters of surface water were measured in situ. Sampling for oligochaetes was conducted by using both hand-nets and an Ekman Birge grab sampler, with samples obtained from different depths. Oligochaetes represented the dominant group of the total benthic macroinvertebrates in samples, with the exception of samples collected from Ayvalı Dam lake. A total of 11,293 oligochaete specimens were sorted from samples collected from these lakes, from which 14 species belonging to 2 subfamilies (Naidinae and Tubificinae) were identified. Potamothrix hammoniensis (90.24%) and Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri (7%) were the most abundant oligochaetes in the samples.This study was supported by the Ministry of Forestry and Water Management project ’The establishment of our country Specific Water Quality Ecological Assessment System’. We are grateful to the Ministry of Forestry and Water Management (Turkey) and DOKAY-C¸ED Environmental Engineering Ltd. Co. (Turkey)