• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.29-34
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• 2003

Recent reports on the phagotrophic feeding of M. rubrum are based on cultivation experiments with novel isolates of this ciliate species from Gomso Bay, Korea. Photo-adapted cryptophyte(CR-MAL01) cultures at high light of 100 $\mu$mol photons m$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$ (HL) and low light of 10 $\mu$mol photons m$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$ (LL) were fed to M. rubrum (MR-MAL01) cultures under HL and LL conditions, respectively. Absorbance spectrum by LL M. rubrum showed the same peak at wavelengths around 542nm as that by LL cryptophyte prey, which was not showed in HL M. rubrum. This result supports the implication that light utilization and absorption pattern of M. rubrum population must depend on the status of photo-adaptation of the co-existing population of prey cryptophyte. Consequences of the present research results were discussed in relation to the function of the prey cryptophyte and phagotrophic M. rubrum in marine microbial ecosystem.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.351-358
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• 2016

The aim of this study was to verify the performance of Teleaulax amphioxeia as prey for Brachionus plicatilis and for the larvae of the bivalves (Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas and Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum) to select the best of five T. amphioxeia strains. The five strains of T. amphioxeia were collected from the coasts of Korea, purecultured and then fed to the rotifer and bivalve larvae. The density and fecundity rate of the rotifer fed on strain 01 were the highest. The instantaneous growth rate of the rotifer fed strain 08-2 was the highest. The maximum density and fecundity rate of the rotifer fed strain 08-2 were significantly higher than those fed Chlorella ellipsoidea, while instantaneous growth rate showed the opposite pattern. Survival rates of the Manila clam larvae fed each strain of Teleaulax showed no significant difference between strains. Survival rates of the Pacific oyster fed Teleaulax were significantly higher than those fed Chaetoceros sp., but lower than those fed I. galbana. This study indicates that strain 08-2 showed better growth for B. plicatilis and better survival for the bivalve larvae than did the other strains, and that T. amphioxeia can also be used as a prey organism for rotifers or bivalve larvae.

• ALGAE
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.39-55
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• 2023

Exploring mixotrophy of dinoflagellate species is critical to understanding red-tide dynamics and dinoflagellate evolution. Some species in the dinoflagellate genus Karenia have caused harmful algal blooms. Among 10 Karenia species, the mixotrophic ability of only two species, Karenia mikimotoi and Karenia brevis, has been investigated. These species have been revealed to be mixotrophic; however, the mixotrophy of the other species should be explored. Moreover, although K. mikimotoi was previously known to be mixotrophic, only a few potential prey species have been tested. We explored the mixotrophic ability of Karenia bicuneiformis, Karenia papilionacea, and Karenia selliformis and the prey spectrum of K. mikimotoi by incubating them with 16 potential prey species, including a cyanobacterium, diatom, prymnesiophyte, prasinophyte, raphidophyte, cryptophytes, and dinoflagellates. Cells of K. bicuneiformis, K. papilionacea, and K. selliformis did not feed on any tested potential prey species, indicating a lack of mixotrophy. The present study newly discovered that K. mikimotoi was able to feed on the common cryptophyte Teleaulax amphioxeia. The phylogenetic tree based on the large subunit ribosomal DNA showed that the mixotrophic species K. mikimotoi and K. brevis belonged to the same clade, but K. bicuneiformis, K. papilionacea, and K. selliformis were divided into different clades. Therefore, the presence or lack of a mixotrophic ability in this genus may be partially related to genetic characterizations. The results of this study suggest that Karenia species are not all mixotrophic, varying from the results of previous studies.

• ALGAE
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.263-275
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• 2020

Water temperature is known to affect the growth and feeding of marine dinoflagellates. Each dinoflagellate species grows well at a certain optimal temperature but dies at very cold and hot temperatures. Thus, changes in water temperatures driven by global warming and extremely high or low temperatures can affect the distribution of dinoflagellates. Yihiella yeosuensis is a mixotrophic dinoflagellate that can feed on only the cryptophyte Teleaulax amphioxeia and the chlorophyte Pyramimonas sp. Furthermore, it grows fast mixotrophically but rarely grows photosynthetically. We explored the direct and indirect effects of water temperature on the growth and ingestion rates of Y. yeosuensis feeding on T. amphioxeia and the growth rates of T. amphioxeia and Pyramimonas sp. under 7 different water temperatures (5-35℃). Both the autotrophic and mixotrophic growth rates of Y. yeosuensis on T. amphioxeia were significantly affected by temperature. Under the mixotrophic and autotrophic conditions, Y. yeosuensis survived at 10-25℃, but died at 5℃ and ≥30℃. The maximum mixotrophic growth rate of Y. yeosuensis on T. amphioxeia (1.16 d^-1) was achieved at 25℃, whereas the maximum autotrophic growth rate (0.16 d^-1) was achieved at 15℃. The maximum ingestion rate of Y. yeosuensis on T. amphioxeia (0.24 ng C predator^-1 d^-1) was achieved at 25℃. The cells of T. amphioxeia survived at 10-25℃, but died at 5 and ≥30℃. The cells of Pyramimonas sp. survived at 5-25℃, but died at 30℃. The maximum growth rate of T. amphioxeia (0.72 d^-1) and Pyramimonas sp. (0.75 d^-1) was achieved at 25℃. The abundance of Y. yeosuensis is expected to be high at 25℃, at which its two prey species have their highest growth rates, whereas Y. yeosuensis is expected to be rare or absent at 5℃ or ≥30℃ at which its two prey species do not survive or grow. Therefore, temperature can directly or indirectly affect the population dynamics and distribution of Y. yeosuensis.

• ALGAE
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.281-290
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• 2015

We explored phagotrophy of the phototrophic ciliate Mesodinium rubrum on the cyanobacterium Synechococcus. The ingestion and clearance rates of M. rubrum on Synechococcus as a function of prey concentration were measured. In addition, we calculated grazing coefficients by combining the field data on abundance of M. rubrum and co-occurring Synechococcus spp. with laboratory data on ingestion rates. The ingestion rate of M. rubrum on Synechococcus sp. linearly increased with increasing prey concentrations up to approximately 1.9 × 10⁶ cells mL^-1, to exhibit sigmoidal saturation at higher concentrations. The maximum ingestion and clearance rates of M. rubrum on Synechococcus were 2.1 cells predator^-1 h^-1 and 4.2 nL predator^-1 h^-1, respectively. The calculated grazing coefficients attributable to M. rubrum on cooccurring Synechococcus spp. reached 0.04 day^-1. M. rubrum could thus sometimes be an effective protistan grazer of Synechococcus in marine planktonic food webs. M. rubrum might also be able to form recurrent and massive blooms in diverse marine environments supported by the unique and complex mixotrophic arrays including phagotrphy on hetrotrophic bacteria and Synechococcus as well as digestion, kleptoplastidy and karyoklepty after the ingestion of cryptophyte prey.

• ALGAE
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.45-59
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• 2020

To investigate the spatio-temporal distributions of the mixotrophic dinoflagellate Yihiella yeosuensis in Korean coastal waters and its grazing impact on prey populations, water samples were seasonally collected from 28 stations in the East, West, and South Seas of Korea and Jeju Island from April 2015 to October 2018. The abundances of Y. yeosuensis in the water samples were quantified using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Simultaneously, the physical and chemical properties of water from all sampled stations were determined, and the abundances of the optimal prey species of Y. yeosuensis, the prasinophyte Pyramimonas sp. and the cryptophyte Teleaulax amphioxeia, were quantified using qPCR. Y. yeosuensis has a wide distribution, as is reflected by the detection of Y. yeosuensis cells at 23 sampling stations; however, this distribution has a strong seasonality, which is indicated by its detection at 22 stations in summer but only one station in winter. The abundance of Y. yeosuensis was significantly and positively correlated with those of Pyramimonas sp. and T. amphioxeia, as well as with water temperature. The highest abundance of Y. yeosuensis was 48.5 cells mL^-1 in Buan in July 2017, when the abundances of Pyramimonas sp. and T. amphioxeia were 917.6 and 210.4 cells mL^-1, respectively. The growth rate of Y. yeosuensis on Pyramimonas sp., calculated by interpolating the growth rates at the same abundance, was 0.49 d^-1, which is 37% of the maximum growth rate of Y. yeosuensis on Pyramimonas sp. obtained in the laboratory. Therefore, the field abundance of Pyramimonas sp. obtained in the present study can support a moderate positive growth of Y. yeosuensis. The maximum grazing coefficient for Y. yeosuensis on the co-occurring Pyramimonas sp. was 0.42 d^-1, indicating that 35% of the Pyramimonas sp. population were consumed in 1 d. Therefore, the spatio-temporal distribution of Y. yeosuensis in Korean coastal waters may be affected by those of the optimal prey species and water temperature. Moreover, Y. yeosuensis may potentially have considerable grazing impacts on populations of Pyramimonas sp.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.178-185
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• 2007

Myrionecta rubra Jankowski 1976(=Mesodinium rubrum Lohmann 1908), a mixotrophic ciliate, is very common and often causes recurrent red tides in diverse marine environments. Since the report on the first laboratory strain of this species in 2000, papers on its novel ecological role and evolutionary importance have been high lighted. This review paper is prepared to promote the de novo recognition M. rubra as a marine mixotrophic species. M. rubra is a ciliate which is able to photosynthesize using plastids originated from cryptophyte (including Teleaulax sp. and Geminigera sp.) prey cells (i.e. kleptoplastidic ciliate). Recently, novel bacterivory of M. rubra was firstly reported. Thus, the nutritional modes of M. rubra include photosynthesis, bacterivory, and algivory. In turn, M. rubra was reported as the prey species of metazoan predators such as calanoid copepods, mysids, larvae of ctenophore and anchovy, and spats of bivalves. In addition, it was reported that dinoflagellate Dinophysis causing diarrhetic shellfish poisoning is one among the predators of M. rubra. Thus, M. rubra, a marine mixotrophic ciliate, may play a pivotal role as a common linking ciliate for the flow of energy and organic material in pelagic food webs.