Figure 1

Resting stages (cysts) of plankton organisms collected in the sediment of the studied hypersaline lakes. In some groups the outer sculpturing may help in taxon identification: a) resting eggs of large branchiopods (a1 Phallocryptus spinosa; a2 Artemia parthenogenetica) (range 200–400 μm); b) ephippium of anomopod cladocerans (Moina salina) holding one resting egg (range 0,5–1 mm); c) types of spherical resting eggs in calanoid copepods (range 80–200 μm); d) types of monogonont rotifers resting eggs (d2 Hexarthra fennica; d3 Brachionus sp.; d4 Ptygura sp.)(range 80–200 μm); (e) flask-shaped cyst in ciliates (Fabrea salina) (range 80–200 μm); f) undetermined spherical resting eggs (range 80–200 μm); g) type of spherical resting eggs in turbellarians (range 80–200 μm).