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The World of Protozoa, Rotifera, Nematoda and Oligochaeta

Ref ID : 1018

Suzuki Takao and Kurihara Yasushi; [Studies on the ecological characteristics of bacteria, protozoa and aquatic oligochaete in continuous cultures]. Suishituodaku kenkyu 7(6):384-392, 1984

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3 protozoa, Cyclidium sp., Tetrahymena pyriformis and Vorticella microstoma, and an aquatic oligochaete, Aeolosoma hemprichi, were inoculated into 4 separate continuous cultures of bacteria. All 4 cultures reached their steady states after few weeks of incuvation. The ecological characteristics of those organisms were compared. Cyclidium sp. and V. microstoma showed an encouragement of the enlargement of bacterial flocs to a greater extent, whereas A. hemprichi showed only a little encouragement. In the case of T. pyriformis, the encouragement was negligible. The number of Cyclidium sp., V. microsotma and A. hemprichi attached to the flocs were found to increase as the floc size increases. The formation and enlargement of bacterial flocs seem to play a significant role in maintaining the steady states. In addition to the above observations, based on the measurements such as removal rate of polypeptone, transparency, and biomass, etc., it could be suggested that these organisms play important roles in reducing the production of excess biomass and in increasing the transparency of treated water.