A Guide to the Basic Ecology, Distribution, and Identification of Calanoida for Zooplankton Community Surveys in Korean Lakes and Reservoirs
Although freshwater calanoid copepods (order Calanoida) have been extensively studied for their roles in aquatic food webs, their value as indicators of lake environments, and their importance in studies of evolution and species diversity, relatively little species-level information on their distribution has accumulated in Korea. This is partly because species-level identification of copepods requires considerable taxonomic effort. In particular, calanoid copepods tend to occur at lower abundances than cyclopoid copepods (order Cyclopoida) and have therefore been less frequently treated at the species level, contributing to limited species-level taxonomic resolution in major monitoring programs such as aquatic ecosystem health assessments of lakes. In this study, we compile basic ecological and distributional information on freshwater calanoids and reorganize and summarize existing identification criteria based on the National Species List of Korea and the Fauna of Korea, and other relevant sources. We also summarize family-level morphological criteria for calanoid copepods recorded in Korea, with particular emphasis on the family Diaptomidae found in freshwater lakes and reservoirs, for which genusand species-level identification criteria are also summarized. By presenting these ecological and taxonomic characteristics in an accessible form, we aim to facilitate species-level identification of calanoid copepods by researchers and practitioners involved in freshwater zooplankton monitoring.