Summary
A comparative account of the plankton ecology of five fish tanks in Delhi is given.
Variations in the physical and chemical characteristics of water such as temperature, turbidity, total residue, pH, free carbon dioxide, carbonate alkalinity, total alkalinity, total hardness, chlorides, dissolved oxygen, oxygen consumed, phosphates, nitrates, silicates and sulphates observed for a period of one year are described. Chemical characteristics of water vary to a great extent in the five tanks. The dry summer and the monsoon rains considerably influence the physical and chemical conditions of water.
The quantitative variations in the phytoplankton populations are presented. Compared to temperate waters, the tanks in Delhi show a richer variety of organisms. The largest number of genera is noted among the green algae. Desmids are poorly represented in all the tanks. The phytoplankton populations show a regular winter maximum which is caused by diatoms.
Observations on the quantitative variations in the major groups of zooplankton are presented. Zooplankton population is represented by many genera. The dominant group among the zooplankton is the Rotifera which shows a summer maximum.
There is no significant correlation between the phytoplankton and the zooplankton.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
Literature
Alikunhi, K. H., Choudhuri, H. & Ramachandran, V., 1955. On the mortality of carp fry in nursery ponds and the role of plankton in their survival and growth; Indian J. Fish. 2: 257–313.
American Public Health Association: Standard Method for the Examination of Water and Sewage, Boston. Tenth edition. 1955.
Atkins, W. R. G., 1926–27. Seasonal changes in the silica content of natural waters in relation to the phytoplankton; J. Mar. biol. Ass. U.K. 14: 89–99.
Beadle, L. C., 1930. Scientific results of the Cambridge expedition to the East African Lakes. 1–4. The water of some East African Lakes in relation to their fauna and flora; J. Linn. Soc. (Zool) 38: 157–210.
Beauchamp, R. S. A., 1953. Sulphates in African inland waters: Nature, Lond. 171: 769–771.
Chacko, P. I. & Krishnamurthy, B., 1954. On the plankton of three freshwater fish-ponds in Madras city, India. In Symposium on Marine and Freshwater Plankton in the Indo-Pacific; Indo-Pacific Fish. Coun. (UNESCO) 103–107.
Chandler, D. C. 1940. Limnological studies of western Lake Erie. 1. Plankton and certain physical-chemical data of the Bass Islands region, from September 1938 to November 1939; Ohio J. Sci. 40: 291–336.
Chandler, D. C., 1942. Limnological studies of western Lake Erie. III. Phytoplankton and physical-chemical data from November 1939 to November 1940; Ohio J. Sci. 42: 24–44.
Cole, G. A., 1957. Studies on Kentucky Knobs Lake. III. Some qualitative aspects of the net plankton; Trans. Ky. Acad. Sci. 18: 88–101.
Das, S. M. & Srivastava, V. K., 1956a. Quantitative studies on freshwater plankton. I. Plankton of a fish tank in Lucknow, India. Proc. nat. Acad. Sci. India B 26: 85–92.
Das, S. M. & Srivastava, V. K., 1956b. Quantitative studies on freshwater plankton. II. Correlations between plankton and hydrological factors. Proc. nat. Acad. Sci. India B 26: 243–254.
Das, S. M. & Srivastava, V. K., 1959. Studies on freshwater plankton. III. Qualitative composition and seasonal fluctuations in plankton components. Proc. nat. Acad. Sci. India B 29: 174–189.
Dickinson, D., The chemical analysis of waters, boilers and feed-waters, sewage and effluents. Blackie & Sons Limited. London and Glasgow. Second edition. 1950.
Fish, G. R., 1956. Chemical factors limiting growth of phytoplankton in Lake Victoria; E. Afr. agric. J. 21: 152–158.
Fritsch, F. E., 1931. Some aspects of the ecology of freshwater algae (with special reference to static waters). J. Ecol. 19: 233–272.
Ganapati, S. V., 1940. The ecology of a temple tank containing a permanent bloom of Microcystis aeruginosa (Kutz) Henfr. J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. 42: 65–77.
Ganapati, S. V., 1941. Srudies on the chemistry and biology of ponds in the Madras City. J. Madras Univ. B 13: 55–69.
Ganapati, S. V., 1943. An ecological study of a garden pond containing abundant zooplankton. Proc. Indian Acad. Sci. 17: 41–58.
George, M. G., 1961. Diurnal variations in two shallow ponds in Delhi, India. Hydrobiologia 18: 265–273.
George, M. G., 1961. Observations on the rotifers from shallow ponds in Delhi. Curr. Sci. 30: 268–269.
George, M. G., 1962. Occurrence of a permanent algal bloom in a fish tank at Delhi with special reference to factors responsible for its production. Proc. Indian Acad. Sci. 61: 354–362.
George, M. G., 1963. Selective digestion in the major carps of India. Curr. Sci. 32: 79–80.
Gonzalves, E. A. & Joshi, D. B., 1946. Freshwater algae near Bombay. I. The seasonal succession of the algae in a tank at Bandra. J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. 46: 154–176.
King, E. J. & Davidson, V., 1933. The Biochemistry of silicic acid. IV. Relation of silica to the growth of phytoplankton. Biochem. J. 27: 1015–1021.
Lauff, G. H., 1953. A contribution to the water chemistry and phytoplankton relationships of Rogers Lake, Flathead County, Montana. Proc. Mont. Acad. Sci. 13: 5–19.
Lund, J. W. G. & Talling, J. F. - 1957 - Botanical limnological methods with special reference to the algae. Bot. Rev. 23: 489–583.
Mann, K. H., 1958. Annual fluctuations in sulphate and bicarbonate hardness in ponds; Limnol. & Oceanogr. 3: 418–422.
Moyle, J. B., 1946. Some indices of Lake productivity. Trans. Amer. Fish. Soc. 76: 322–334.
Pearsall, W. H., 1932. Phytoplankton in the English lakes. II. The composition of the phytoplankton in relation to dissolved substances. J. Ecol. 20: 241–262
Pearsall, W. H., Gardiner, A. C. & Greenshields, F., 1946. Freshwater biology and water supply in Britain. Sci. Publ. Freshwat. biol. Ass. Brit. Emp. 11: 1–90.
Pennak, R. W., 1949. Annual limnological cycles in some Colorado reservoir lakes. Ecol. Monogr. 19: 233–267.
Pennak. R. W., 1955. Comparative limnology of eight Colorado mountain lakes. Univ. Colo. Stud. Biol. 2: 1–75.
Prashad, B., 1916. The seasonal conditions governing the pond life in the Punjab. J. Asiat. Soc. Beng. 12: 142–145.
Proceedings of the Symposium on Algology;, 1959. Indian Council of Agricultural Research., New Delhi. (1960).
Prowse, G. A., 1955. The role of phytoplankton in studies on productivity. Verh. int. Ver. Limnol. 12: 159–163.
Pruthi, H. S., 1933. Studies on the bionomics of freshwaters in India. I. Seasonal changes in the physical and chemical conditions of the water of the tank in the Indian Museum Compound. Int. Rev. Hydrobiol. 28: 46–67.
Rao, C. B., 1955. On the distribution of algae in the group of six small ponds. II. Algal periodicity. J. Ecol. 43: 291–308.
Tucker, D. S., 1958. The distribution of some freshwater invertebrates in ponds in relation to annual fluctuations in the chemical composition of water. J. Anim. Ecol. 27: 105–123.
Wesenberg-Lund, C., 1930. Contributions to the biology of the Rotifera. II. The periodicity and sexual periods. D. K. D. Vidensk. Selsk. Skr., natur veg. math Afd 9R: II. 1: 1–230.
Wiebe, A. H., 1930. Investigations in plankton production in fish ponds. Bull. U.S. Bur. Fish. 46: 137–176.
Wright, J. C., 1954. The hydrobiology of Atwood Lake, a flood-control Reservoir. Ecology 35: 305–316.
Wright, J. C., 1958. The limnology of Canyon Ferry Reservoir. I. Phytoplankton-zooplankton relationships in the Euphotic Zone during September and October, 1956. Limnol. & Oceanogr. 3: 150–159.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Part of the thesis approved for the Ph. D. Degree of the University of Delhi, 1961.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
George, M.G. Comparative plankton ecology of five fish tanks in Delhi, India. Hydrobiologia 27, 81–108 (1966). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00161489
Received:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00161489