Spatial and temporal changes in copepod zooplankton communities of Lake Tanganyika

Pelagic Copepoda zooplankton in Lake Tanganyika were sampled over two years at three localities. When the data from both years were pooled, post-naupl iar cyclopoids formed 76% of the pelagic post-naupliar Copepoda off Bujumbu ra, 83% off Kigoma and 62% off Mpulungu. During both sampling years, dry we ight biomass of post-naupliar copepod stages decreased at sampling sites in the order Bujumbura > Kigoma > Mpulungu. Cyclopoids off Kigoma showed a cl ear seasonal pattern with one abundance peak in October/November and anothe r at the end of the wet season in April/May. At other locations, neither cy clopoids nor calanoids showed clear seasonal pattern. Correlation of season al biomass was low between the first and second dry seasons, and between th e first and second wet seasons in all the sampling localities and in all th e zooplankton groups. The yearly mean post-naupliar copepod dry weight biom ass was estimated as 3.1 g dw m(-2) off Bujumbura, 2.1 g dw m(-2) off Kigom a and 1.5 g dw m(-2) off Mpulungu.