The effect of light quality on the photosynthetic pigments as chromatic adaptation in 8 species of lichens were examined. The chlorophylls, carotenoids in 5 species with green algae as phycobionts (Cladonia mitis, Hypogymnia physodes, H. tubulosa var. tubulosa and subtilis, Flavoparmelia caperata, Xanthoria parietina) and the chlorophyll a, carotenoids and phycobiliprotein pigments in 3 species with cyanobacteria as photobionts (Peltigera canina, P. polydactyla, P. rufescens) were determined. The total content of photosynthetic pigments was calculated according to the formule and particular pigments were determined by means CC, TLC, HPLC and IEC chromatography. The total content of the photosynthetic pigments (chlorophylls, carotenoids) in the thalli was highest in red light (genus Peltigera), yellow light (Xanthoria parietina), green light (Cladonia mitis) and at blue light (Flavoparmelia caperata and both species of Hypogymnia). The biggest content of the biliprotein pigments at red and blue lights was observed. The concentration of C-phycocyanin increased at red light, whereas C-phycoerythrin at green light. In Trebouxia phycobiont of Hypogymnia and Nostoc photobiont of Peltigera species the presence of the phytochromes was observed.

Column (CC), thin-layer (TLC), high-performance liquid (HPLC) and ion-exchange chromatography (IEC), were used to investigate corotenoid and carotenoprotein complexes in Asellus aquaticus specimens from the Narew river. The following carotenoids were found: á-carotene, â-carotene, â-cryptoxanthin, lutein, zeaxanthin, diadinoxanthin, mutatoxanthin, crustaxanthin, echinenone, hydroxyechinenone, phoenicoxanthin, canthaxanthin and astaxanthin. Astaxanthin (37.5%), canthaxanthin (21.4%) and phoenicoxanthin (12.3%) were found in the largest amounts. The total carotenoid content was 13.824 Fg g-1 of dry mass. Carotenoprotein complexes containing astaxanthin as the prosthetic group were purified from Asellus aquaticus. The carotenoprotein complexes belonged to the crustacyanins group as á-and ã-crustacyanin. The protein forming the á-crustacyanin contained large amounts of such amino-acids as asparic acid, glutamic acid and leucine, whereas the protein of the ã-crustacyanin contained primarily glutamic acid, glycine and lysine.

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The authors investigated the growth of straminipilous organisms on the eggs of inconnu (Stenodus leucichthys) and nelma (Stenodus nelma) in water from three different eutrophication levels. Thirty (30) straminipilous species were found growing on the investigated eggs (of both fish species) used as baits. The majority of species has been found on the eggs of inconnu (20) in comparison with those found on the eggs of nelma (15). The highest number of infected eggs of both investigated species has been observed also in the water from Biała river (27.3% of the inconnu and 21.6% of the nelma; the most eutrophication), the smallest in water from Supraśl River (6.3 and 8.8% respectively; the less eutrophication). These differences for both species were statistically significant. Amino acid, carbohydrate and urease tests were used.

The straminipiles (Oomycota), lineage of fungus-like eukaryotic microorganism, growing on the eggs of an African catfish, Clarias gariepinus, in water of different trophicity in Poland have been investigated. Twenty-one (21) species were recorded. The largest number of species occurred on eggs in water from River Biala and Pond Fosa (more biogenic), the smallest in water from River Suprasl and Pond Dojlidy (poor in biogenes). The most commonly encountered species on the C. gariepinus eggs were: Saprolegnia parasitica, Achlya polyandra, A. oblongata, A. prolifera, Aphanomyces frigidophilus, S. ferax and Leptomitus lacteus. Amino-acid, carbohydrate and urease tests were used. 11.4% of C. gariepinus eggs investigated were found to be infected by Straminipiles species.