Amoebophrya ceratii (Koeppen) Cachon is an obligate parasite of dinoflagellates and may represent a species complex. However, little is known about the biology and host range of different strains of Amoebophrya Cachon. Here, we determined parasite generation time and dinospore infectivity, survival, and ability to infect nonprimary hosts for strains of Amoebophrya from Akashiwo sanguinea (Hirasaka) G. Hansen et Moestrup, Gymnodinium instriatum (Freudenthal et Lee) Coats comb. nov., and Karlodinium micrum (Leadbeater et Dodge) J. Larsen. Akashiwo sanguinea was readily infected, with parasite prevalence reaching 100% in dinospore:host inoculations above a 10:1 ratio. Parasitism also approached 100% in G. instriatum , but only when inoculations exceeded a 40:1 ratio. Karlodinium micrum appeared partially resistant to infection, as parasite prevalence saturated at 92%. Parasite generation time differed markedly among Amoebophrya strains. Survival and infectivity of dinospores decreased over time, with strains from G. instriatum and A. sanguinea unable to initiate infections after 2 and 5 days, respectively. By contrast, dinospores from Amoebophrya parasitizing K. micrum remained infective for up to 11 days. Akashiwo sanguinea and G. instriatum were not infected when exposed to dinospores from nonprimary Amoebophrya strains. Karlodinium micrum , however, was attacked by dinospores of Amoebophrya from the other two host species, but infections failed to reach maturity. Observed differences in host-parasite biology support the hypothesis that Amoebophrya ceratii represents a complex of host-specific species. Results also suggest that Amoebophrya strains have evolved somewhat divergent survival strategies that may encompass sexuality, heterotrophy during the "free-living" dinospore stage, and dormancy.

ABSTRACT. Chesapeake Bay populations of the red-tide dinoflagellate Gymnodinium sanguineum were regularly infected by the parasitic dinoflagellate Amoebophrya ceratii during the summers of 1988-1991. Infections developed inside the nucleus of G. sanguineum and were always lethal to the host. Parasite generation time was ~ 40 h at 23° C, with the intracellular, trophont phase lasting 39.5 ± 0.3 h, and the extracellular, vermiform stage persisting for ~ 20 min. Near surface accumulations of G. sanguineum sometimes exceeded 1,000 cells/ml; however, host abundance was relatively low when integrated over the surface mixed layer of each station (mean = 12.2 cells/ml ± 2.96 SE; n = 60). Parasitized hosts were encountered in 75% of the samples where host abundance was > 1 per ml, and epidemic outbreaks (20-40% hosts infected) were observed on several occasions. Epidemic infections were generally located several meters below surface accumulations of G. sanguineum and were always restricted to a narrow region near the pycnocline. Consequently, integrated station values for parasite prevalence were low, with an average 2.7% (± 0.31 SE; n = 60). Parasite induced mortality removed up to 8% of G. sanguineum populations per day, but averaged < 2% of host biomass throughout the Bay. Thus, parasitism by A. ceratii does not appear to be a major factor regulating G. sanguineum bloom in the main stem of Chesapeake Bay.

ABSTRACT. Several genera of marine dinoflagellates contain species that have evolved parasitic life styles. Dinoflagellate infections have been reported for a wide range of host organisms including sarcodines, ciliates, free-living dinoflagellates, various invertebrates, and a few vertebrates. Some dinoflagellates even parasitize other parasitic dinoflagellates. Most species are obligately parasitic and rely on heterotrophy as their sole means of nutrition; however, some are mixotrophic, as they possess chloroplasts during part or all of their ! t life cycle. Many are ectoparasites that use highly specialized structures to attach to their host and feed, while others are intracellular i parasites that feed by osmotrophy. Parasitic dinoflagellates often have adverse effects on their host that can lead to reproductive castration or death. The ecological importance of parasitic dinoflagellates is particularly evident during epidemic outbreaks that cause mass mortality of host organisms. Species that infect fish can pose threats to aquaculture, while other species can make commercially important 4 crustacea unpalatable. In the planktonic realm, parasitic dinoflagellates influence the structure and function of the microbial food web. They compete with copepods and other grazers by utilizing ciliates as hosts and can stimulate rapid recycling of nutrients by causing the decline of toxic and non-toxic red tides.

This paper presents results of field and laboratory studies on mixotrophy in the estuarine dinoflagellate Gyrodinium galatheanum (Braarud) Taylor. We tested the hypotheses that this primarily photosynthetic organism becomes phagotrophic when faced with suboptimal light and/or nutrient environments. In Chesapeake Bay, incidence of feeding of this species on cryptophytes is positively correlated with prey density and concentrations of nitrate and nitrite, but negatively correlated with depth, salinity, and phosphate concentration. Feeding in natural assemblages and cultures increased hyperbolically with light intensity. The stoichiometric proportions of dissolved inorganic P and N (DIP:DIN) at the stations where G. galatheanum was present were far below the optimal growth P:N (1:10). Incidence of feeding was negatively related to the ratio of DIP to DIN, suggesting that P limitation may have induced feeding. Addition of nitrate, or addition of both nitrate and phosphate, inhibited feeding in a natural population, indicating that N limitation may also induce feeding. Ingestion of the cryptophyte, Storeatula major , by cultured G. galatheanum was higher in media low in nitrate or phosphate or both, but moderate rates of feeding occurred in nutrient-replete cultures. When cells were grown in media with varying concentrations of nitrate and phosphate, N deficiency resulted in greater cellular N and Chl a losses than did P deficiency, but P deficiency stimulated feeding more than N deficiency. Both N and P deficiency, or P:N ratios that deviated greatly from 1:10, result in an increase of cellular carbon content and an increase in propensity to feed. Our results suggest that feeding in G. galatheanum is partly a strategy for supplementing major nutrients (N and P) that are needed for photosynthetic carbon assimilation. Feeding in G. galatheanum may also be a strategy for supplementing C metabolism or acquiring trace organic growth factors, since feeding occurs, although at a reduced rate, in nutrient-replete cultures.

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