Growth of freshwater ciliates offered planktonic algae as food

Skogstad, Asbjørn; Granskog, Lois; Klaveness, Dag

doi:10.1093/plankt/9.3.503

Cited by 49 publications

(26 citation statements)

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“…An interception feeder (Balanion planktonicum) from Lake Constance showed a strong negative selection for diatoms (Stephanodiscus parvus), whereas a filter feeder (Strobilidium lacustris) ingested this small centric diatom (Müller & Schlegel 1999). Many ciliate species cannot grow on a diatom diet, thus the nutritional value of diatoms for ciliates seems to be generally low (Gifford 1985, Skogstad et al 1987. A number of diatom species are known to release reactive alde- e.g.…”

Section: Ciliate Spring Bloom and Species Shiftsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Regulation of planktonic ciliate dynamics and functional composition during spring in Lake Constance

Tirok¹,

Gaedke²

2007

Aquat. Microb. Ecol.

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Protozoans are among the most important grazers of phytoplankton and remineralizers of nutrients in marine and freshwater ecosystems, but less is known about the regulation of their population dynamics. We analyzed a 12 yr data set of ciliate biomass and species composition in large, deep Lake Constance to understand the factors influencing ciliate spring development. The start of ciliate net growth in spring was closely linked to that of edible algae, chlorophyll a and the vertical mixing intensity, but independent of water temperature. During ciliate spring growth, the relative contribution of ciliated interception feeders was positively related to that of cryptomonads, whereas the relative contribution of filter feeders correlated positively with that of non-cryptomonads. The duration of ciliate dominance in spring was largely controlled by the highly variable onset of the phytoplankton bloom, as the termination of the ciliate bloom was less variable. During years with an extended spring bloom of algae and ciliates, internally forced species shifts were observed in both communities. Interception feeders alternated with filter feeders in their relative importance as did cryptomonads and non-cryptomonads. Extended spring blooms were observed when vertical mixing intensity was low at low temperatures during early spring, which will become less likely under the anticipated climate change scenarios. The termination of the ciliate spring bloom occurred prior to a reduction in food concentration and mostly also prior to the mass development of daphnids alone, but coincided with increased grazing by various predators together, such as rotifers, copepods and daphnids in late May/early June.

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Section: Ciliate Spring Bloom and Species Shiftsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Regulation of planktonic ciliate dynamics and functional composition during spring in Lake Constance

Tirok¹,

Gaedke²

2007

Aquat. Microb. Ecol.

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“…In their study, ciliate growth rates were inversely related to the effective cell size of the prey. Skogstad et al (1987) tested 5 freshwater ciliates of the genera Cinetochilum, Bursaridium, Urotricha, Frontonia and Haltena with a wide variety of algal food. While all ciliates grew we11 on cryptophytes and chrysophytes, Cinetochilum was the only strain which also thrived on the diatoms T. pseudonana nana and Cyclotella pseudonana stelligera.…”

Section: Food Value Of Diatomsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Responses of three freshwater planktonic ciliates with different feeding modes to cryptophyte and diatom prey

Müller¹,

Schlegel²

1999

Aquat. Microb. Ecol.

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The filter feeding oligotrich ciliate Strobilidium lacustris, the raptorial prostome ciliate Balanion planctonicu~n and the diffusion feeding scuticociliate Histiobalantium bodamicurn could be cultivated for months/years on a sole &et of Cryptomonas sp., whereas the diatom Stephanodiscus hantzschii did not support their growth. With Cryptornonas sp. as food, numerical responses of all ciliates followed a modified Michaelis-Menten model, which at lS°C yielded maximum growth rates of 0.96. 1.87 and 0.33 d-' and threshold concentrations of 61, 7 8 and 290 ng C ml-' for S. lacustris, B. planctonicum and H. bodamicum, respectively. Functional response patterns differed between species. In all investigated ciliates, growth rates reached a maximum earlier than ingestion rates, and there were no threshold concentrations for zero ingestion. Food selectivity depended on feeding mode. H. bodamicum was not able to ingest the non-motile diatoms. Both S. lacustris and B. planctonicum selectively preferred cryptophytes when offered a mixed diet. This effect was more pronounced in the raptorial feeder compared to the filter feeder. Our results indicate that during the phytoplankton spring bloom in Lake Constance prostome and oligotrich ciliates mainly exploit cryptophytes, and that the scuticociliate H. bodamicum, due to its slow growth, is an inferior competitor during this season. The observed threshold concentrations suggest that during the rest of the year prostomes and oligotrichs must rely on small-scale patches of this food, whereas H. bodamicum, with maximum development in late summer and autumn, presumably consumes a much larger variety of prey.

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“…Strombidium siculum also grew well on the small (4 pm) diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana (Table 1). Food type has previously been shown to affect ciliate growth (see Repak 1983, Gifford 1985, Verity & Villareal 1986, Skogstad et al 1987.…”

Section: General Culturing Isolation and Identification: Strobilidiumentioning

confidence: 99%

Growth responses of planktonic ciliates in the genera Strobilidium and Strombidium

Montagnes¹

1996

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

145

147

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Intrinsic growth and mortality rates need to be estimated to assess the potential for oligotrich ciliate populations to exploit prey populations, and since species specific differences exist, data for a variety of ciliates grazing on a variety of prey are also needed. In this paper, data are presented on the growth and mortality rates of 4 planktonic oligotrichs (2 Strobilidium species and 2 Strombidium species), at a number of prey concentrations. Growth and mortality data for these and other species in these 2 genera are reviewed. In general, these oligotrichs have maximum growth rates (p, d-l) ranging from -0.3 to 2.2 (at temperatures ranging from 6 to 31°C); they have similar threshold concentrations (the food concentration where growth rate equals zero) of 10 to 100 ng C ml-'; they have rapid mortality rates at sub-threshold concentrations (cells only survive 1 to 3 d), and the range of food concentrations where the growth rate increases from zero to near its maximum is 20 to 300 ng C ml-l Although generalities can be made about ciliates in these 2 genera, the data suggest that in terms of growth and mortality rates, planktonic oligotrichs cannot be considered a single functional group. There is, however, a need to predict 'typical' oligotrich growth rates. To this end, several formulae have been established to predict maximum growth rates from ciliate cell volume and ambient temperature. In this paper, the growth data for Strobilidii~m and Strombidium are reviewed and compared to the predicted values from formulae In the literature; the formula presented by Muller & Geller (1993, Arch. Hydrobiol. 126: 315-327) appears to be the best pred~ctor of maxlmum growth rate from cell volume and ambient temperature. Finally, based on the review of growth data for these 2 genera, some speculations are made as to how these ciliates may exploit prey populations in a planktonic environment composed of small-scale patches.

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Growth of freshwater ciliates offered planktonic algae as food

Cited by 49 publications

References 0 publications

Regulation of planktonic ciliate dynamics and functional composition during spring in Lake Constance

Regulation of planktonic ciliate dynamics and functional composition during spring in Lake Constance

Responses of three freshwater planktonic ciliates with different feeding modes to cryptophyte and diatom prey

Growth responses of planktonic ciliates in the genera Strobilidium and Strombidium

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