The dataset brings together all records of rotifers (Phylum Rotifera) found by N. Iakovenko, D. Lukashanets, and D. Fontaneto worldwide in limno-terrestrial habitats – substrates that periodically undergo cycles of desiccation and hydration but cannot be classified as temporary waterbodies – such as mosses, lichens, fungi, timber, upper layers of soil, and litter.
From 1996 to the present, we have collected and analysed more than 2,275 limno-terrestrial samples Sampling covered all continents and over 50 countries, spanning from the Arctic to the Antarctic, including most of major biomes. The altitude of sampling sites ranged from 0 to 4,610 m above sea level. In total, the dataset includes 5,729 records of limno-terrestrial rotifers. We found 216 clonal species (including nominal ‘subspecies’ that in bdelloids are to be updated to species in future) belonging to 23 genera (9 of Monogononta and 14 of Bdelloidea). More than other 400 species-level entities were different in minor or major details from the original descriptions and potentially might be new taxa.
The submitted dataset is extensive and substantially contributes to the current knowledge of diversity and distribution of limno-terrestrial rotifers subject that is still poorly known, especially outside Europe. We present it for the wider use in studies of microinvertebrate biodiversity and macroecology.
","language":"eng","citation":{"text":"Lukashanets D, Iakovenko N, Fontaneto D, Devetter M, Janko K, Ejsmont-Karabin J, Bielańska-Grajner I, Hallet B, Smykla J, Kozeretska I, Trokhymets V (2026). New data on limno-terrestrial rotifers of the world. Version 1.11. Marine Research Institute, Klaipeda University. Occurrence dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/vymt96 accessed via GBIF.org on 2026-10-14.","citationProvidedBySource":false},"contactsCitation":[{"key":7606375,"abbreviatedName":"Lukashanets D","firstName":"Dzmitry","lastName":"Lukashanets","roles":["ORIGINATOR","METADATA_AUTHOR"],"userId":["https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8632-8469"]},{"key":7606376,"abbreviatedName":"Iakovenko N","firstName":"Nataliia","lastName":"Iakovenko","roles":["ORIGINATOR"],"userId":["https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4458-9884"]},{"key":7606377,"abbreviatedName":"Fontaneto D","firstName":"Diego","lastName":"Fontaneto","roles":["ORIGINATOR"],"userId":["https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5770-0353"]},{"key":7606378,"abbreviatedName":"Devetter M","firstName":"Miloslav","lastName":"Devetter","roles":["ORIGINATOR"],"userId":["https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1767-4266"]},{"key":7606379,"abbreviatedName":"Janko K","firstName":"Karel","lastName":"Janko","roles":["ORIGINATOR"],"userId":[]},{"key":7606380,"abbreviatedName":"Ejsmont-Karabin J","firstName":"Jolanta","lastName":"Ejsmont-Karabin","roles":["ORIGINATOR"],"userId":[]},{"key":7606381,"abbreviatedName":"Bielańska-Grajner I","firstName":"Irena","lastName":"Bielańska-Grajner","roles":["ORIGINATOR"],"userId":[]},{"key":7606382,"abbreviatedName":"Hallet B","firstName":"Bernard","lastName":"Hallet","roles":["ORIGINATOR"],"userId":[]},{"key":7606383,"abbreviatedName":"Smykla J","firstName":"Jerzy","lastName":"Smykla","roles":["ORIGINATOR"],"userId":[]},{"key":7606384,"abbreviatedName":"Kozeretska I","firstName":"Iryna","lastName":"Kozeretska","roles":["ORIGINATOR"],"userId":[]},{"key":7606385,"abbreviatedName":"Trokhymets V","firstName":"Vladlen","lastName":"Trokhymets","roles":["ORIGINATOR"],"userId":[]}],"lockedForAutoUpdate":false,"createdBy":"8a8f0093-edf7-46e5-9c2b-0be3f18ff52c","modifiedBy":"crawler.gbif.org","created":"2025-07-15T21:58:49.254+00:00","modified":"2026-09-25T10:06:46.113+00:00","contacts":[{"key":7606375,"type":"ORIGINATOR","primary":true,"userId":["https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8632-8469"],"salutation":"Dr.","firstName":"Dzmitry","lastName":"Lukashanets","position":[],"email":["dzmitry.lukashanets@ku.lt"],"phone":["+37069379994"],"homepage":[],"organization":"Marine Research Institute, Klaipeda University","address":["Universiteto ave. 17"],"city":"Klaipeda","province":"- Please choose -","country":"LT","postalCode":"92294","createdBy":"crawler.gbif.org","modifiedBy":"crawler.gbif.org","created":"2026-09-25T10:06:46.057+00:00","modified":"2026-09-25T10:06:46.057+00:00"},{"key":7606376,"type":"ORIGINATOR","primary":false,"userId":["https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4458-9884"],"salutation":"Dr.","firstName":"Nataliia","lastName":"Iakovenko","position":[],"email":["rotifer1@gmail.com"],"phone":["+420775513470"],"homepage":[],"organization":"Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague","address":["Kamýcká 129 Praha 6 - 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Hydrobiologia 761, 5-43. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-015-2463-2","citationProvidedBySource":false},{"text":"Freckman DW, Virginia RA (1993) Extraction of nematodes from Dry Valley Antarctic soils. Polar Biology 13, 483–487. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00233139","citationProvidedBySource":false},{"text":"Peters U, Koste W, Westheide W (1993) A quantitative method to extract moss-dwelling rotifers. Hydrobiologia 255, 339–341. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00025857","citationProvidedBySource":false},{"text":"Kutikova LA (2005) The Bdelloid rotifers of the fauna of Russia. KMK Scientific Press Ltd. Moscow. [In Russian]","citationProvidedBySource":false},{"text":"Donner J (1965) Ordnung Bdelloidea (Rotatoria, Rädertiere). Akademie Verlag. [in German]","citationProvidedBySource":false},{"text":"Bartoš E (1959) Virnici - Rotatoria. Vol. 15. Fauna CSR. Nakladatelstvi Ceskoslovenske Akademie Ved. Praha [in Czech]","citationProvidedBySource":false},{"text":"Bartoš E (1959) The Czechoslovak Rotatoria of the order Bdelloidea. Vestnik Ceskoslovenske Zoologicke Spolecnosti 15, 241–500.","citationProvidedBySource":false},{"text":"Iakovenko NS, Kašparová E, Plewka M, Janko K (2013) Otostephanos (Rotifera, Bdelloidea, Habrotrochidae) with the description of two new species. Systematics and Biodiversity 11 (4), 477-494. https://doi.org/10.1080/14772000.2013.857737","citationProvidedBySource":false}],"curatorialUnits":[],"taxonomicCoverages":[{"description":"The dataset includes all records belonging to Phylum Rotifera, which we found in the samples of soil, moss, lichen and other limno-terrestrial habitats. Monogonont rotifers (order Ploima) accounted for only 1.36 % the records, whilst the majority of records were bdelloids (order Bdelloidea). Species with uncertain affiliation or potentially new for science were indicated as Genus sp., those different from the nominal description (mostly potentially new) are designated as cf. Of note, 10 species among found were not typical for limno-terrestrial habitats but rather occur in swamps and temporary water bodies (f. ex. Philodina flaviceps, Synchaeta sp.). Their encounter on terrestrial vegetation is most likely the result of the proximity to the water bodies and/or high humidity of the habitat.","coverages":[{"scientificName":"Rotifera","commonName":"rotifers","rank":{"verbatim":"phylum","interpreted":"PHYLUM"}}]}],"geographicCoverages":[{"description":"The dataset includes records collected throughout the world, spanning latitudes from 77.94° S to 78.28° N and covering all continents:\n\n(i) Europe – Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russian Federation (Karelia and Caucasus), Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine; also including the European Arctic (Bear Island, Iceland, Jan Mayen, Svalbard) and Mediterranean islands (Mallorca, Malta, Menorca, Pantelleria, Sardinia);\n\n(ii) Asia – Armenia, Brunei, China, Cyprus, Georgia, India, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russian Federation (Southern Siberia), Taiwan, Tajikistan, Turkey;\n\n(iii) Africa – Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Tunisia; also including Macaronesia (Canary Islands, Madeira);\n\n(iv) North America – western Greenland, USA (contiguous states and Alaska); also including the Caribbean (Martinique);\n\n(v) South America – Brazil, Chile;\n\n(vi) Australia and Oceania – Australia (mainland and Tasmania), New Zealand, Papua New Guinea;\n\n(vii) Antarctica – maritime Antarctic (Antarctic Peninsula, Argentine Islands, James Ross Island, King George Island), and continental Antarctic (Dronning Maud Land, Enderby Land, Victoria Land and Ross Sea Region)","boundingBox":{"minLatitude":-90.0,"maxLatitude":90.0,"minLongitude":-180.0,"maxLongitude":180.0,"globalCoverage":true}}],"temporalCoverages":[{"@type":"verbatim","period":"1996-2025","type":"FORMATION_PERIOD"}],"keywordCollections":[{"thesaurus":"GBIF Dataset Type Vocabulary: http://rs.gbif.org/vocabulary/gbif/dataset_type_2015-07-10.xml","keywords":["Bdelloidea"]},{"thesaurus":"GBIF Dataset Subtype Vocabulary: http://rs.gbif.org/vocabulary/gbif/dataset_subtype.xml","keywords":["Rotifera"]},{"thesaurus":"GBIF Dataset Subtype Vocabulary: http://rs.gbif.org/vocabulary/gbif/dataset_subtype.xml","keywords":["moss"]},{"thesaurus":"GBIF Dataset Subtype Vocabulary: http://rs.gbif.org/vocabulary/gbif/dataset_subtype.xml","keywords":["lichen"]},{"thesaurus":"GBIF Dataset Subtype Vocabulary: http://rs.gbif.org/vocabulary/gbif/dataset_subtype.xml","keywords":["soil"]}],"project":{"title":"ROTISFERA 'Global patterns of microinvertebrate distribution: does diversity decrease poleward in rotifers (Rotifera: Bdelloidea)?’","identifier":"NDICI-GEO-NEAR/2022/434-092-0068","contacts":[{"type":"PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR","primary":false,"userId":[],"firstName":"Dzmitry","lastName":"Lukashanets","position":[],"email":[],"phone":[],"homepage":[],"address":[]},{"type":"ORIGINATOR","primary":false,"userId":[],"firstName":"Nataliia","lastName":"Iakovenko","position":[],"email":[],"phone":[],"homepage":[],"address":[]}],"funding":"European Union","awards":[],"studyAreaDescription":"The project covers all regions of the Earth.","designDescription":"To address the project's aims we used samples collected starting from 1996 until present in limno-terrestrial habitats throughout the world. More than 2,200 samples were analyzed using conventional methods (analysis of rotifer morphology using light microscopy) resulting in creation of dataset with 5,729 rotifer species occurrences, 98.6 of which belong to bdelloids. The data covers all continents, including both polar zones and ranging from 0 to 4,610 m of altitude. \n\nThe further steps include estimation of the diversity patterns within defined geographical area (alpha- and gamma-diversity, rarefaction curve, asymptotic diversity estimates), and globally, i.e. revealing shape and prominence of latitudinal diversity gradient using hexagonal model and general additive model (GAM).\n\nIn parallel, the diversity of limno-terrestrial rotifers will be assessed using molecular approach. It is planned to imply metabarcoding sequencing of coI mitochondrial gene for rotifers, however, not in global scale (only Europe - from Mediterranean to Arctic). Results obtained using both methodological approaches will be compared.","relatedProjects":[{"title":"SNOWLIFE 'Microfauna emerging in seasonal snow patch ecosystems - losers or winners?'","identifier":"S-MIP-23-25","contacts":[{"type":"ADMINISTRATIVE_POINT_OF_CONTACT","primary":false,"userId":[],"firstName":"Dzmitry","lastName":"Lukashanets","position":[],"email":[],"phone":[],"homepage":[],"address":[]}]},{"title":"Taksonomia i ekologia wrotków (Rotifera) z rzędu pijawczaków (Bdelloidea) na terenie Polski","identifier":"N304 0341 33 ","contacts":[{"type":"ADMINISTRATIVE_POINT_OF_CONTACT","primary":false,"userId":[],"firstName":"Nataliia","lastName":"Iakovenko","position":[],"email":[],"phone":[],"homepage":[],"address":[]}]},{"title":"INTAS Young Scientist Fellowship 'Order Adinetida, Bdelloidea, Rotifera. An analysis of diversity and distribution of the taxon in Central and Southern Europe''","identifier":"INTAS 06-1000014-5639 ","contacts":[{"type":"ADMINISTRATIVE_POINT_OF_CONTACT","primary":false,"userId":[],"firstName":"Nataliia","lastName":"Iakovenko","position":[],"email":[],"phone":[],"homepage":[],"address":[]}]}],"abstract":"The project deals with the Latitudinal diversity gradient (LDG), which is one of the important biodiversity structural characteristics that in its initial concept refers to the quantitative changes (increase or decrease) of species richness from the poles to the equator. In most terrestrial macroorganisms LDG is characterized by higher diversities near the equator, while aquatic species tend to increase diversity toward the poles. However, for the microfauna, especially for so-called limno-terrestrial organisms (inhabitants of wet soil, moss and lichens), the presence and shape of LDG are still unclear. \n\nThe main aim of the proposed project is to estimate the prominence and shape of global LDG in limno-terrestrial bdelloid rotifers (Bdelloidea; Rotifera). The general strategy of the project implies the employment of both conventional and metabarcoding techniques (extraction and sequencing of total DNA from the already collected frozen soil and moss samples) to estimate diversity metrics and compare them. Secondary, the project aims at inventarization of rotifer biodiversity in less studied studied regions, especially in Arctic and Antarctic. \n\nTwo European Universities are involved in the project: Klaipeda University (KU) as lead applicant and Czech University of Life Sciences Prague (CZU) as co-applicant."},"samplingDescription":{"studyExtent":"All samples used in the dataset were collected either within the frame of several research projects focused on the biodiversity and ecology of microfauna, or as a part of other field activities. The latter included fieldwork in remote and hard-to-reach areas (tropical rainforests, polar and alpine regions), visiting notable places, incidentally in field trips, within national Antarctic expeditions, during landing at cruises of research vessels, etc. The samples have been stored in the repositories of the dataset’s main creators, Dr. Nataliia Iakovenko and Dr. Dzmitry Lukashanets. For the short-term storage we used gradual drying at room temperature, while for long-term preservation freezing at -20-25° C was used (samples from other than polar latitudes were first gradually dried at room temperature before freezing).","sampling":"For the analysis of limno-terrestrial rotifers, sampling was performed mainly in forest ecosystems (taiga, boreal and mixed forests, subtropical forests, tropical rainforests), flatlands, urban areas, and agricultural landscapes. In polar areas, we conducted sampling in moss tundra, at post-glacial moraine, in Antarctic oases and nunataks. \nSamples of soil and litter were collected using 3.8 cm metal corer or metal scoops. Lichens, mosses, and other vegetation were picked from the ground, tree barks, and stones using tweezers or simply by hands. The size of the samples varied from a few cm3 to several dozen cm3, depending on the amount of material available for collection. All samples were placed in paper of plastic bags and properly labelled. All sampling sites were georeferenced.","qualityControl":"Recognized specialists in taxonomy of Bdelloidea rotifers, Dr. Nataliia Iakovenko, Dr. Diego Fontaneto, and Dr. Dzmitry Lukashanets, carried out all species identification while consulting other specialists (Dr. Aydin Örstan). Primarily first descriptions together with the existing identification keys and reviews on the taxonomy of bdelloids were used. Georeferenced data were checked by placing latitudes and longitudes on a map.","methodSteps":["Microscopic animals were isolated from each sample. For this, soil, litter, timber, fungi or pieces of vegetation (mosses, lichen) were washed on the system of sieves, followed by flotation and centrifugation in a sugar solution (Freckman, Virginia, 1993). Alternatively, the method for extracting moss-dwelling rotifers described by Peters et al. (1993) was used.","Rotifers were counted and sorted under a binocular microscope (Olympus SZ61, Olympus SZX10, NR.3 Nikon SMZ1000).","For species identification, live rotifer individuals were transferred to slides and examined using light microscopy (Nikon Eclipse Ts2R, NIB-100F inverted microscope, Olympus CX43). First descriptions of taxa and the existing identification keys were used: Donner (1965), Bartoš (1951, 1959), Kutikova (2005). Body dimensions and proportions were measured following the protocol of Iakovenko et al. (2013, 2015).","Rotifer densities were equalized to 25 cm3 (measured as 25 mL standard sample of the dried substrate using a plastic tube). In case when the sample volume was smaller, it was measured, and rotifer densities were counted per sample and then recalculated to 25 cm3. The standard sample volume was chosen empirically as a minimal volume feasible to collect in which rotifer diversity was adequately represented."]},"countryCoverage":[],"collections":[],"dataDescriptions":[],"dataLanguage":"eng","acknowledgements":"The dataset was created under the ROTISFERA project: ‘Global patterns of microinvertebrate distribution: does diversity decrease poleward in rotifers (Rotifera: Bdelloidea)?’ NDICI-GEO-NEAR/2022/434-092-0068 (funded by EU).
Sampling activities in some regions were implemented as part of the following projects:
SNOWLIFE ‘Microfauna emerging in seasonal snow patch ecosystems – losers or winners?’ P-MIP-23-374 (Europe – Baltic States);
‘Taksonomia i ekologia wrotków (Rotifera) z rzędu pijawczaków (Bdelloidea) na terenie Polski’ N304 0341 33 (Europe – Poland);
INTAS Young Scientist Fellowship ‘Order Adinetida, Bdelloidea, Rotifera. An analysis of diversity and distribution of the taxon in Central and Southern Europe’ 06-1000014-5639 (Central and Southern Europe);
MP-Arctic ‘Microplastics and related persistent organic pollutants in post-glacial Arctic ecosystems and adjacent areas’ S-LLT-24-3 (Svalbard);
Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education within the program Supporting International Mobility of Scientists and within grants 2P04F00127, NN304069033, NN305376438 and NN304014939 for years 2002-2015, and National Science Foundation within US Antarctic Program grants NSF BO-034-M and ANT 0739575 (Antarctica – Victoria Land);
‘Unique community of ice-bound tardigrades and rotifers in evolutionary, physiological and ecological context’ CSF 22-28778S (all regions);
Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics Institutional Support RVO 67985904 (all regions).
Collection of data from Western Greenland and Iceland was made possible by participation in the cruise ‘Iceland and Greenland: edge of the Arctic’ on board the National Geographic Explorer vessel (organized by Lindblad Expeditions and National Geographic, August 2022).
The authors would like to thank all other people who collected samples – Igor Balashov, Olena Bezkrovna, Jörg Bohlen, Oleg Borodin, Tatiana Chernyachovskaya, Lukáš Choleva, Maya Chumak, Zdenek Duriš, Igor Dykyy, Sevil Erdogan, Yury Giginiak, Olexiy Gumovsky, Mykhail Iakovenko, Vira Inshina, Mykola Ivanov, Jan Kavan, Šárka Kinzelová, Jan Kočí, Alexei Korniushin, Anna Kravchenko, Olga Kuzmanenko, Tetyana Kuzmina, Vladislav Miamin, Krystina Muchová, Svitlana Nyporko, Aydin Örstan, Xenya Pichko, Alexei Pindrus, Dmitry Polin, Klara Řeháková, Ekaterina Romanenko, Otto Strunecký, Anna Šobanová, Marina Tarashuk, Oxana Tishchenko, Robert Vargovich, Alena Zikmundová.
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