• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.457-472
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• 2011

To elucidate the trophic role of heterotrophic nano- and microplankton (HNMP), we investigated their biomass, community structure, and herbivory in three different water masses, namely, south of Polar Front (SPF), Polar Front Zone (PFZ), the Sub-Antarcitc Front (SAF) in the Drake Passage in the Southern Ocean, during the austral summer in 2002. We observed a spatial difference in the relative importance of the dominant HNMP community in these water masses. Ciliates accounted for 34.7% of the total biomass on an average in the SPF where the concentration of chlorophyll-a was low with the dominance of pico- and nanophytoplankton. Moreover, the importance of ciliates declined from the SPF to the SAF. In contrast, heterotrophic dinoflagellates (HDFs) were the most dominant grazers in the PFZ where the concentration of chlorophyll-a was high with the dominance of net phytoplankton. HNMP biomass ranged from 321.9 to 751.4 $mgCm^{-2}$ and was highest in the PFZ and lowest in the SPF. This result implies that the spatial dynamic of HNMP biomass and community was significantly influenced by the composition and concentration of phytoplankton as a food source. On an average, 75.6%, 94.5%, and 78.9% of the phytoplankton production were consumed by HNMP in the SPF, PFZ, and SAF, respectively. The proportion of phytoplankton grazed by HNMP was largely determined by the composition and biomass of HNMP, as well as the composition of phytoplankton. However, the herbivory of HNMP was one of the most important loss processes affecting the biomass and composition of phytoplankton particularly in the PFZ. Our results suggest that the bulk of the photosynthetically fixed carbon was likely reprocessed by HNMP rather than contributing to the vertical flux in Drake Passage during the austral summer in 2002.

• ALGAE
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.153-163
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• 2014

Mesodinium rubrum is a cosmopolitan ciliate that often causes red tides. Predation by heterotrophic protists is a critical factor that affects the population dynamics of red tide species. However, there have been few studies on protistan predators feeding on M. rubrum. To investigate heterotrophic protists grazing on M. rubrum, we tested whether the heterotrophic dinoflagellates Gyrodiniellum shiwhaense, Gyrodinium dominans, Gyrodinium spirale, Luciella masanensis, Oblea rotunda, Oxyrrhis marina, Pfiesteria piscicida, Polykrikos kofoidii, Protoperidinium bipes, and Stoeckeria algicida, and the ciliate Strombidium sp. preyed on M. rubrum. G. dominans, L. masanensis, O. rotunda, P. kofoidii, and Strombidium sp. preyed on M. rubrum. However, only G. dominans had a positive growth feeding on M. rubrum. The growth and ingestion rates of G. dominans on M. rubrum increased rapidly with increasing mean prey concentration < $321ngCmL^{-1}$, but became saturated or slowly at higher concentrations. The maximum growth rate of G. dominans on M. rubrum was $0.48d^{-1}$, while the maximum ingestion rate was 0.55 ng C $predator^{-1}d^{-1}$. The grazing coefficients by G. dominans on populations of M. rubrum were up to $0.236h^{-1}$. Thus, G. dominans may sometimes have a considerable grazing impact on populations of M. rubrum.

• ALGAE
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.199-222
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• 2017

Occurrence of Cochlodinium polykrikoides red tides have resulted in considerable economic losses in the aquaculture industry in many countries, and thus predicting the process of C. polykrikoides red tides is a critical step toward minimizing those losses. Models predicting red tide dynamics define mortality due to predation as one of the most important parameters. To investigate the roles of heterotrophic protists in red tide dynamics in the South Sea of Korea, the abundances of heterotrophic dinoflagellates (HTDs), tintinnid ciliates (TCs), and naked ciliates (NCs) were measured over one- or two-week intervals from May to Nov 2014. In addition, the grazing impacts of dominant heterotrophic protists on each red tide species were estimated by combining field data on red tide species abundances and dominant heterotrophic protist grazers with data obtained from the literature concerning ingestion rates of the grazers on red tide species. The abundances of HTDs, TCs, and NCs over the course of this study were high during or after red tides, with maximum abundances of 82, 49, and $35cells\;mL^{-1}$, respectively. In general, the dominant heterotrophic protists differed when different species caused red tides. The HTDs Polykrikos spp. and NCs were abundant during or after C. polykrikoides red tides. The mean and maximum calculated grazing coefficients of Polykrikos spp. and NCs on populations of co-occurring C. polykrikoides were $1.63d^{-1}$ and $12.92d^{-1}$, respectively. Moreover, during or after red tides dominated by the phototrophic dinoflagellates Prorocentrum donghaiense, Ceratium furca, and Alexandrium fraterculus, which formed serial red tides prior to the occurrence of C. polykrikoides red tides, the HTDs Gyrodinium spp., Polykrikos spp., and Gyrodinium spp., respectively were abundant. The maximum calculated grazing coefficients attributable to dominant heterotrophic protists on co-occurring P. donghaiense, C. furca, and A. fraterculus were 13.12, 4.13, and $2.00d^{-1}$, respectively. Thus, heterotrophic protists may sometimes have considerable potential grazing impacts on populations of these four red tide species in the study area.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Fisheries Technology Conference
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• 2001.05a
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• pp.439-439
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• 2001

Polykrikos kofoidii, one of the predatory dinoflagellates, commonly breaks out at worldwide coastal areas. few ecological behaviors, however, have been rovaled yet. We observed and described the feeding behavior of p. kofoidii. (omitted)

• ALGAE
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.17-31
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• 2016

To explore the feeding ecology of the newly described heterotrophic dinoflagellate Aduncodinium glandula in the family Pfiesteriaceae, its feeding behavior and prey species were investigated. Additionally, the growth and ingestion rates of A. glandula on the mixotrophic dinoflagellates Heterocapsa triquetra and Akashiwo sanguinea, its optimal and suboptimal prey, respectively were measured. A. glandula fed on prey through a peduncle after anchoring to the prey using a tow filament. A. glandula ate all algal prey and perch blood cells tested and had the most diverse prey species in the family Pfiesteriaceae. Unlike for other pfiesteriacean species, H. triquetra and A. sanguinea support the positive growth of A. glandula. However, the cryptophytes Rhodomonas salina and Teleaulax sp. and the phototrophic dinoflagellate Amphidinium carterae did not support the positive growth of A. glandula. Thus, A. glandula may have a unique kind of prey and its optimal prey differs from that of the other pfiesteriacean dinoflagellates. With increasing mean prey concentration, the growth rates of A. glandula on H. triquetra and A. sanguinea increased rapidly and then slowed or became saturated. The maximum growth rates when feeding on H. triquetra and A. sanguinea were 1.004 and 0.567 d⁻¹, respectively. Further, the maximum ingestion rates of A. glandula on H. triquetra and A. sanguinea were 0.75 and 1.38 ng C predator⁻¹ d⁻¹, respectively. There is no other pfiesteriacean species having H. triquetra and A. sanguinea as optimal and suboptimal prey. Thus, A. glandula may be abundant during blooms dominated by these species not preferred by the other pfiesteriacean dinoflagellates.

• ALGAE
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.343-354
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• 2013

To explore the interactions between the mixotrophic dinoflagellate Biecheleria cincta (previously Woloszynskia cincta) and heterotrophic protists, we investigated whether the common heterotrophic dinoflagellates Gyrodinium dominans, Gyrodinium moestrupii, Gyrodinium spirale, Oxyrrhis marina, and Polykrikos kofoidii, and the ciliate Strobilidium sp. were able to feed on B. cincta. We also measured growth and ingestion rates of O. marina and Strobilidium sp. on B. cincta as a function of prey concentration. In addition, these rates were measured for other predators at single prey concentrations at which the growth and ingestion rates of O. marina and Strobilidium sp. were saturated. All grazers tested in the present study were able to feed on B. cincta. B. cincta clearly supported positive growth of O. marina, G. dominans, and Strobilidium sp., but it did not support that of G. moestrupii, G. spirale, and P. kofoidii. The maximum growth rates of Strobilidium sp. and O. marina on B. cincta (0.91 and 0.49 $d^{-1}$, respectively) were much higher than that of G. dominans (0.07 $d^{-1}$). With increasing the mean prey concentration, the specific growth rates of O. marina and Strobilidium sp. on B. cincta increased, but either became saturated or slowly increased. The maximum ingestion rate of Strobilidium sp. (1.60 ng C $predator^{-1}\;d^{-1}$) was much higher than that of P. kofoidii and O. marina (0.55 and 0.34 ng C $predator^{-1}\;d^{-1}$) on B. cincta. The results of the present study suggest that O. marina and Strobilidium sp. are effective protistan grazers of B. cincta.

• ALGAE
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.309-324
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• 2017

Recently, the heterotrophic nanoflagellate Katablepharis japonica has been reported to feed on diverse red-tide species and contribute to the decline of red tides. However, if there are effective predators feeding on K. japonica, its effect on red tide dynamics may be reduced. To investigate potential effective protist predators of K. japonica, feeding by the engulfment-feeding heterotrophic dinoflagellates (HTDs) Oxyrrhis marina, Gyrodinium dominans, Gyrodinium moestrupii, Polykrikos kofoidii, and Noctiluca scintillans, the peduncle-feeding HTDs Luciella masanensis and Pfiesteria piscicida, the pallium-feeding HTD Oblea rotunda, and the naked ciliates Strombidium sp. (approximately $20{\mu}m$ in cell length), Pelagostrobilidium sp., and Miamiensis sp. on K. japonica was explored. We found that none of these heterotrophic protists fed on actively swimming cells of K. japonica. However, O. marina, G. dominans, L. masanensis, and P. piscicida were able to feed on heat-killed K. japonica. Thus, actively swimming behavior of K. japonica may affect feeding by these heterotrophic protists on K. japonica. To the contrary, K. japonica was able to feed on O. marina, P. kofoidii, O. rotunda, Miamiensis sp., Pelagostrobilidium sp., and Strombidium sp. However, the specific growth rates of O. marina did not differ significantly among nine different K. japonica concentrations. Thus, K. japonica may not affect growth of O. marina. Our findings suggest that the effect of predation by heterotrophic protists on K. japonica might be negligible, and thus, the effect of grazing by K. japonica on populations of red-tide species may not be reduced by mortality due to predation by protists.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.15-19
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• 2009

Early studies claimed that heterotrophic dinoflagellates Pfiesteria piscicida and related genera may produce a putative water-soluble toxin that causes death of fish and other marine animals. Several methods were tested to visualize plate morphology of Cryptoperidiniopsis brodyi and Pfiesteria piscicida. Cellulose plates of cells were exposed and visualized- by a membrane stripping method using Triton X-100. While calcofluor M2R white stain could readily bind to the thecal plates, details of the plate tabulation were difficult to observe. Fixation with osmium tetroxide $(OsO_4)$ produced well preserved cells with little morphological distortion, but thecal plates could not be visualized. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observation using the membrane stripping method showed distinctive plate tabulations between C. brodyi and P. piscicida suggesting that this method is a useful tool for morphological identification of lightly armored dinoflagellates.

• ALGAE
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.61-78
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• 2020

Species belonging to the dinoflagellate genus Prorocentrum are known to cause red tides or harmful algal blooms. To understand the dynamics of a Prorocentrum sp., its growth and mortality due to predation need to be assessed. However, there are only a few Prorocentrum spp. for which heterotrophic protist predators have been reported. We explored feeding by the common heterotrophic dinoflagellates Gyrodinium dominans, Oxyrrhis marina, Pfiesteria piscicida, Oblea rotunda, and Polykrikos kofoidii and the naked ciliate Strombidinopsis sp. (approx. 90 ㎛ cell length) on the planktonic species Prorocentrum triestinum, P. cordatum, P. donghaiense, P. rhathymum, and P. micans as well as the benthic species P. lima and P. hoffmannianum. All heterotrophic protists tested were able to feed on the planktonic prey species. However, O. marina and O. rotunda did not feed on P. lima and P. hoffmannianum, while G. dominans, P. kofoidii, and Strombidinopsis sp. did. The growth and ingestion rates of G. dominans and P. kofoidii on one of the seven Prorocentrum spp. were significantly different from those on other prey species. G. dominans showed the top three highest growth rates when it fed on P. triestinum, P. cordatum, and P. donghaiense, however, P. kofoidii had negative growth rates when fed on these three prey species. In contrast, P. kofoidii had a positive growth rate only when fed on P. hoffmannianum. This differential feeding on Prorocentrum spp. between G. dominans and P. kofoidii may provide different ecological niches and reduce competition between these two common heterotrophic protist predators.

• ALGAE
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.391-401
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• 2016

To develop an easy and rapid method of quantifying lipid contents of marine dinoflagellates, we quantified lipid contents of common dinoflagellate species using a colorimetric method based on the sulpho-phospho-vanillin reaction. In this method, the optical density measured using a spectrophotometer was significantly positively correlated with the known lipid content of a standard oil (Canola oil). When using this method, the lipid content of each of the dinoflagellates Alexandrium minutum, Prorocentrum micans, P. minimum, and Lingulodinium polyedrum was also significantly positively correlated with the optical density and equivalent intensity of color. Thus, when comparing the color intensity or the optical density of a sample of a microalgal species with known color intensities or optical density, the lipid content of the target species could be rapidly quantified. Furthermore, the results of the sensitivity tests showed that only $1-3{\times}10^5cells$ of P. minimum and A. minutum, $10^4cells$ of P. micans, and $10^3cells$ of L. polyedrum (approximately 1-5 mL of dense cultures) were needed to determine the lipid content per cell. When the lipid content per cell of 9 dinoflagellates, a diatom, and a chlorophyte was analyzed using this method, the lipid content per cell of these microalgae, with the exception of the diatom, were significantly positively correlated with cell size, however, volume specific lipid content per cell was negatively correlated with cell size. Thus, this sulpho-phospho-vanillin method is an easy and rapid method of quantifying the lipid content of autotrophic, mixotrophic, and heterotrophic dinoflagellate species.