Widespread distribution of some estuarine crustaceans (Cyathura polita,Chiridotea almyra,Almyracuma proximoculi) in the limnetic zone of the lower Hudson River,New York

From June through September 1983, a survey was conducted to document the occurrence, abundance and distribution of benthic macroinvertebrates in the main channel, Hudson River Estuary. The survey was restricted to a 118-km reach of the limnetic zone from just below Albany to New Hamburg, New York. Results indicated that two crustacean species,Cyathura polita (Stimpson) andChiridotea almyra Bowman, are widely distributed and common throughout the limnetic zone, including areas more than 100 km upstream from the northernmost(=most upstream) intrusion of ocean-derived brackish water.Almyracuma proximoculi Jones and Burbanck was much less common, but also was found in areas well removed from any brackish-water influences. All three species previously have been thought to occur primarily in estuarine waters with at least some salinity. We could find no evidence to suggest that non-ocean derived sources were supplementing the levels of dissolved ions in the river water or sediments. Therefore, it appears that all three species have established permant populations in a truly freshwater habitat.