Composition and distribution of stygobionts in the Tafna alluvial aquifer (north-western Algeria)

Little is known about the hypogean fauna of Algeria, with studies mostly dating to the beginning of the twentieth century (Gurney 1908; Racovitza 1912; Monod 1924; Pesce and Tetè 1978); moreover, the knowledge varies markedly among regions. In this study, we examined the composition and distribution of the invertebrate communities in the phreatic zone of the Tafna aquifer (N-W Algeria). Twelve wells close to the Tafna wadi, ranging between 120 and 1100 m a.s.l., were studied from May 2005 to March 2006. Many specimens belonging to 37 taxa were collected, the most frequent taxa being Typhlocirolana sp., a stygobitic Gammaridae species, Cyclopidae and Ostracoda. Other crustacean species were relatively scarce, with discontinuous distribution, being present only in a few wells. The taxonomic richness and abundance of stygobitic crustacean communities were relatively constant over time. The spatial distribution of stygobionts was mainly related to the exchanges with surface water.