<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>Species composition of plankton ciliates was studied in the Curonian Lagoon in 2007–2008 and compared to long term investigations dating back to the 1980th. In total, 152 taxa were identified at the level of species or genera. More species (76 species/higher taxa) was found in the estuarine part of the Lagoon due to temporally unstable salinity and the presence of both freshwater and brackish/marine species. Some of the brackish/marine species: Tintinnopsis baltica, Tintinnopsis kofoidi, Cothurnia maritima, Lohmaniella oviformis, Lohmaniella spiralis and Helicostomella subulatum were recorded for the first time in the lagoon. The ciliate community at the freshwater sites was less diverse, containing 63 species/higher taxa in the central stagnant part of the Lagoon and 47 — in the Nemunas River avandelta. The comparison of present and past studies revealed that the use of a single live-counting method could lead to underestimation of small nanociliate species, whereas examination of Lugol fixed material provides relatively poor taxonomic information.</p>
</abstract>

Species composition of plankton ciliates was studied in the Curonian Lagoon in 2007–2008 and compared to long term investigations dating back to the 1980th. In total, 152 taxa were identified at the level of species or genera. More species (76 species/higher taxa) was found in the estuarine part of the Lagoon due to temporally unstable salinity and the presence of both freshwater and brackish/marine species. Some of the brackish/marine species: Tintinnopsis baltica, Tintinnopsis kofoidi, Cothurnia maritima, Lohmaniella oviformis, Lohmaniella spiralis and Helicostomella subulatum were recorded for the first time in the lagoon. The ciliate community at the freshwater sites was less diverse, containing 63 species/higher taxa in the central stagnant part of the Lagoon and 47 — in the Nemunas River avandelta. The comparison of present and past studies revealed that the use of a single live-counting method could lead to underestimation of small nanociliate species, whereas examination of Lugol fixed material provides relatively poor taxonomic information.

Inventory of the taxonomical composition of the plankton ciliates in the Curonian Lagoon (SE Baltic Sea)

Oceanological and Hydrobiological Studies

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Species composition of plankton ciliates was studied in the Curonian Lagoon in 2007–2008 and compared to long term investigations dating back to the 1980th. In...

Inventory of the taxonomical composition of the plankton ciliates in the Curonian Lagoon (SE Baltic Sea)

Pubblicato online: 25 ott 2011

Pagine: 86 - 95

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/s13545-011-0045-0

Parole chiave
Ciliates, species diversity, salinity, Curonian Lagoon

© 2011 Faculty of Oceanography and Geography, University of Gdańsk, Poland

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Inventory of the taxonomical composition of the plankton ciliates in the Curonian Lagoon (SE Baltic Sea)

Pubblicato online: 25 ott 2011

Pagine: 86 - 95

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/s13545-011-0045-0

Parole chiaveCiliates, species diversity, salinity, Curonian Lagoon

© 2011 Faculty of Oceanography and Geography, University of Gdańsk, Poland

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Parole chiave
Ciliates, species diversity, salinity, Curonian Lagoon