The rise of salinity of inland waters in many regions of the world highlights the necessity of investigations of ecosystems with a naturally high level of salinity to be able to predict possible changes in freshwater under the influence of modern environmental hazards. We studied species composition, density, biomass, and estimated production of macrozoobenthos communities in the middle reach and mouth of the saline Chernavka River (Lake Elton basin, Russia) from October 2018 to September 2019. The salinity of the water varied from 24 to 34 g l⁻¹ during the investigation period. Species richness was poor: only a total of 21 taxa were found during the study period in the Chernavka River. The average density of benthic taxa in the middle reach was 8294 ind. m⁻², and in the river mouth, the average density of benthic taxa was 12,893 ind. m⁻². Chironomid larvae and Ceratopogonid larvae had high density and biomass in both sites throughout the growing season. Beetle larvae had high density in summer and autumn in the mouth of the river. The production of macrozoobenthos in the middle reach was 57.7 g dry wt m⁻² year⁻¹. In the mouth reach, the production was 707.2 g dry wt m⁻² year⁻¹. In the middle reach, the greatest contribution to production was made by Palpomyia schmidti, Cricotopus salinophilus, and Ephydra sp. In the mouth reach, Chironomus salinarius, Berosus spp., and C. salinophilus contributed to benthic production the most.

世界许多地区内陆水域盐度的上升凸显了对具有天然高盐度的生态系统进行调查的必要性，以便能够预测在现代环境危害影响下淡水可能发生的变化。我们研究了 2018 年 10 月至 2019 年 9 月在切尔纳夫卡河（俄罗斯埃尔顿湖盆地）中游和河口的大型底栖动物群落的物种组成、密度、生物量和估计产量。水的盐度从 24 到 34 不等gl ^-1在调查期间。物种丰富度较差：研究期间在切尔纳夫卡河仅发现了21个类群。中游底栖类群平均密度为8294个。米^-2，而在河口，底栖类群的平均密度为 12,893 ind。米^-2。在整个生长季节，摇蚊幼虫和 Ceratopogonid 幼虫在两个地点都具有高密度和生物量。河口夏秋季甲虫幼虫密度较高。中游大型底栖动物的产量为 57.7 g 干重 m ^-2 年^-1。在口中，产量为 707.2 g 干重 m ^-2 年^-1。在中游，对产量贡献最大的是Palpomyia schmidti、Cricotopus salinophilus和Ephydra sp。在嘴里伸手可及，Chironomus salinarius，Berosus spp. 和C. salinophilus对底栖生物产量的贡献最大。