Feeding by the heterotrophic dinoflagellate Protoperidinium bipes on the diatom Skeletonema costatum

Abstract

The heterotrophic dinoflagellate Protoperidinium bipes is a predominant heterotrophic dinoflagellate (maximum density = 137 cells ml -1 ) during diatom blooms. To investigate its role as a grazer in the population dynamics of diatoms, we measured growth and ingestion rates of P. bipes when feeding on the common diatom Skeletonema costatum. We also calculated grazing coefficients by combining field data on abundances of P. bipes and co-occurring S. costatum with laboratory data on ingestion rates obtained in the present study. Specific growth rates of P. bipes increased continuously with increasing concentration of S. costatum. The maximum specific growth rate of P. bipes on S. costatum was 1.37 d -1 when data for the growth rate were fitted to a Michaelis-Menten equation. The threshold prey concentration (where net growth = 0) was 111 ng C ml -1 (4270 cells ml ). The results of the present study suggest that P. bipes sometimes has a considerable grazing impact on populations of S. costatum.

Growth rates and starvation survival of three species of the pallium-feeding, thecate dinoflagellate genus Protoperidinium

“…Nonetheless, high Protoperidinium spp. concentrations of >100 cells ml -1 have rarely been reported for field samples (Jeong et al 2004). If our observations apply to natural plankton communities, Protoperidinium spp.…”

Seasonal Variability of Mesozooplankton Feeding Rates on Phytoplankton in Subtropical Coastal and Estuarine Waters

“…It was only when the microzooplankton assemblage were predominated by heterotrophic dinoflagellates which are able to consume prey like chain-forming diatoms with size similar to predators (Jacobson andAnderson, 1986 andJeong et al, 2004) and the suppression of such heterotrophic dinoflagellates by copepods would eventually cause trophic cascades on chain-forming diatoms . Therefore, the strength and importance of trophic cascades on this size fraction of phytoplankton were dependent on the abundance and composition of microzooplankton in addition to the feeding preference of mesozooplankton assemblage (herbivores or omnivores).…”

Feeding by heterotrophic dinoflagellates on the common marine heterotrophic nanoflagellate Cafeteria sp.

“…Mean grazing coefficients for O. marina and G. cf. guttula on co-occurring HNFs calculated in the present study were 2.88 and 0.42 d -1 roles in marine planktonic communities (Lessard 1991, Jeong 1995, 1999, Sherr & Sherr 2000, Tillmann & Reckermann 2002; HTDs are known to feed on a diverse array of prey species, such as heterotrophic bacteria, phytoplankton, mixotrophic dinoflagellates (Hansen 1992, Strom & Buskey 1993, Jeong & Latz 1994, Jeong et al 2004b, 2005a, Kim & Jeong 2004, Tillmann 2004, heterotrophic protists, and metazoans through a variety of feeding mechanisms (Burkholder & Glasgow 1995, Hansen & Calado 1999, Jeong et al 2005a. HTDs are also known to be important prey for several planktonic consumers such as ciliates (Jeong et al 2004a) and copepods (Jeong et al 2001a).…”