The first data on the free-living ciliates in the plankton of lake Aslykul (Bashkortostan Republic, Southern Urals)

This article gives the first information about the species composition of free-living ciliates and its distribution in the water column from different ecotopes (pelagial, open littoral, the zone of macrophytes) of the lake Aslykul that is a natural monument. Poor species richness (2-12 species in the sample) and low ciliates abundance that is typical for brackish water bodies were revealed. The number varied in the range of 4-789 thousand copies/m3; the biomass - 0.2-44.8 mg / m3. The water saprobity values that were determined by the indicator ciliates species corresponded to the β' -mesosaprobic zone.