Classification Card

The Classification card comprises data of the longitudinal distribution in flowing waters (including the littoral and profundal of standing waters) and of the saprobic valence. The data are taken from the Fauna Aquatica Austriaca (edit. Moog, 2002).

The Longitudinal Distribution provides information about the distribution of species in various longitudinal sections of running waters, ranging from the crenal to the hypopotamal. The values displayed in the adjacent fields weigh the occurrence of a species in a specific section (the sum of the values is always 10).

The Saprobic Valence reflects the degree of tolerance of a species to organic contamination. As a support to the saprobic system, the Roman numerals indicate the degree of pollution, including the levels 0 (xenosaprobic), I (oligosaprobic), II (ß-mesosaprobic), III (a-mesosaprobic) and IV (polysaprobic). The values displayed in the adjacent fields weigh the tolerance to a special degree of organic pollution (the sum of the values is always 10).