ISSN:
1432-1939
Keywords:
Plankton
;
Bacterivory
;
Mixotrophy
;
Phagotrophy
;
Cryptomonas
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Biology
Notes:
Summary Bacterivory was detected by incorporation of 0.57 μm diameter, fluorescent polystyrene beads and fluorescently labeled bacteria (FLB) in two cultured species of Cryptomonas (C. ovata and C. erosa), and a population of Cryptomonas sp in a humic, mesotrophic lake. Rates of ingestion and clearance were very low, and similar for the cultures and the in situ population. The in situ population incorporated 0.7–1.7 bacteria cell-1 h-1, thereby ingesting 0.3%–2.0% of the total bacterial numbers present in the water per day, and receiving less than 2% of its carbon content per day through bacterivory. Thus, bacterivory by Cryptomonas was quantitatively important neither as a sink for bacterial biomass, nor as a carbon source for the algal cells. Possibly, it served in the uptake of essential nutrients.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00378736
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