Main Content

The World of Protozoa, Rotifera, Nematoda and Oligochaeta

Ref ID : 7287

Alan J. Martin and David J.S. Montagnes; Winter Ciliates in a British Columbian Fjord: Six New Species and an Analysis of Ciliate Putative Prey. J.Eukaryot.Microbiol. 40(5):535-549, 1993

Reprint

In File

Notes

This work provides the first study of North Pacific planktonic ciliates by quantitative protargol staining. Triplicate water bottle samples were collected at a depth of 2 m (above the shallow pycnocline) at six stations in Indian Arm, British Columbia, on February 15, 1990, and February 26, 1991. Thirty-six ciliate species were observed. Six new species are described from protargol-stained specimens: Strombidium lynni n. sp., Strombidium taylori n. sp., Strombidium basimorphum n. sp., Strombidium ventropinnum n. sp., Strobilidium undinum n. sp., and Urotricha cyrtonucleata n. sp. Ciliate abundance varied significantly (ANOVA, alpha=0.05) between sampling sites, ranging from 550 to 6,800 cells/liter in 1990 and from 1,800 to 7,900 cells/liter in 1991. Biomass also varied significantly (ANOVA, alpha=0.05) ranging from 3.7x10E5 to 3.3x10E6 pg carbon/liter in 1990 and 3.04x10E6-6.97x10E6 pg carbon/liter in 1991. Putative prey were enumerated in three size fractions (1.5-5 µm, 5-10 µm and 10-25 µm). The source of variation in ciliate abundance and biomass was not identified. Parameters of salinity, temperature, putative prey, chlorophyll a and pycnocline depth did not significantly correlate with ciliate biomass or abundance (alpha=0.05).