Ref ID : 1739
Asbjorn Skogstad, Lois Granskog, and Dag Klaveness; Growth of freshwater ciliates offered planktonic algae as food. J.Plankton Research 9(3):503-512, 1987
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Five ciliates, isolated the open water of lakes, were fed 30 different planktonic algae. Reproduction of the ciliates was monitored as response to the various food items offered. Flagellates of the classes Chrysophyceae (two tested), Cryptophyceae (10 tested) and Dinophyceae (one tested) were generally good to excellent as food for all ciliates, although food size or formation of palmelloid stages may have an inhibitory effect. Chlorococcal or flagellate Chlorophyceae (12 tested) gave a less consistent response, ranging from good to not acceptable. The diatoms (Bacillariophyceae, two tested) were excellent as food for one ciliate only, but generally not acceptable for the others. Blue-green algae (Cyanophyceae, two tested) were not accepted as food at all. One ciliate, Cinetochilum, stood out as rather omnivorous compared with the other four.