Microhabitat preferences of benthic invertebrates and the development of generalised Deleatidium spp. habitat suitability curves, applied to four New Zealand rivers

Abstract

Microhabitat preferences of 12 benthic invertebrate taxa were investigated in four New Zealand rivers. Most taxa showed significant habitat preferences. Generally, taxa were more abundant in water less than 0.75 m deep and in gravel or coarser substrates, and no taxa showed a clear preference for fine substrate (sand and fine gravel) or deep water. Coloburiscus humeralis, Zelandoperla spp., and Aoteapsyche spp. preferred coarse substrate and water velocities of more than 0.75 m s⁻¹, whereas Nesa‐meletus spp. and Pycnocentrodes spp. were associated with similar substrate but lower water velocities (0.2–0.8 m s⁻¹). Naididae preferred low (< 0.3 m s⁻¹) water

Keywords:

• instream habitat
• modelling
• Deleatidium spp.
• incremental methodology
• habitat suitability function
• microhabitat preference
• benthic invertebrate