Temporal and spatial variation in the benthic invertebrate fauna of Lake George, Uganda

The invertebrate fauna of mud bottoms in Lake George was examined in 1971‐1972. No evidence was found of seasonal changes in the composition or absolute levels of the benthic invertebrate density and biomass, though local changes occurred in some species which were attributed to swarming behaviour or larval settlement patterns. Comparison of the benthic fauna at nine sites showed considerable similarity over the whole lake. Multivariate analysis on the sample data showed that an “inshore/offshore” difference accounted for 30‐40% of the total variation between samples. It is suggested that this difference is related to the texture and stability of the substratum. Comparison with the literature shows that the Lake George benthos is an extreme type, but one that is represented in other inter‐tropical African lakes.