Ollicola vangoorii (Chrysophyceae, Chromulinales): an unfamiliar loricate protist newly documented in UK freshwaters from a southern upland loch, Scotland

2014·1.4 MB·English

by  Pauline Lang

Lang, P., Ross, N., Krokowski, ]. & Doughty, R. 1960; Starmach, 1985) (Fig. la, b). Until now, 0.
(2011). The elusive planktonic freshwater vangoorii has not previously been recorded in U.K.
chrysophyte Bitrichia longispincr. a first record freshwaters (G. Novarino & D. John,pers. comm.).
for Scottish lochs and comparison with the
commoner species, Bitrichia chodatii. The In the course of analysing phytoplankton samples
GlasgowNaturalist25, 106 - 108. collected as part of the Scottish Environment
Lang, P., Krokowski, J. & Ross, N. (2012). The rare Protection Agency's ongoing assessment of the
green alga Pediastrum privum (Chlorophyta, ecological status of freshwater lochs in Scotland
Sphaeropleales) in a Scottish kettle loch: new to (Lang etal., 2013), small numbers (5 - 10 cells per
British freshwaters. The Glasgow Naturalist 25, 100 ml) of 0. vangoorii were found in Loch
139- 142. Grannoch during the summer months of2012. Loch
Lang, P., Prochazkova, L., Krokowski, J., Meis, S., Grannoch is situated in a largely afforested
Spears, B.M., Milne, I. & Pottie, J. (2013). The catchment of the southern uplands of Scotland
bizarre Eustigmatacean alga, Pseudostaurastrum (NGR: NX 54153 69674). It is an elongated lakewith
limneticum (Borge) Chodat, in a shallow, a surface area of c. 1.14 km2, characterized by an
nutrient-enriched Scottish loch: new to the acid-sensitive (annual mean -0.82 mg L 1 as CaCCL
British Isles. The Glasgow Naturalist 25, (in in 2012) and slightly mesotrophic water chemistry
press). [annual mean total phosphorus (TP) concentration
Lewis, W.M. & Riehl, W. (1982). Phytoplankton 15.4 gg L 1 in 2012].
composition and morphology in Lake Valencia,
Venezeula. International Review ofHydrobiology Although 0. vangoorii is typically known as a marine
67, 297 - 322. taxon (e.g., Novarino etal, 2002), and is hence not
Unrein, F., Gasol, J.M. & Massana, R. (2010). currently featured in John etal. (2011), the species
Dinobryon faculiferm (Chrysophyta) in coastal has also been documented from less saline Danish
Mediterranean seawater: presence and grazing inland waters (G. Novarino, pers. comm.). Therefore,
impact on bacteria. Journal ofPlankton Research its occurrence in a freshwater environment is
32,559 - 564. probably not unexpected, and furthermore suggests
Widen, T. (1963). Notes on Swedish plankton algae. the species is adapted to a wide salinity range. This
Nova Hedwigia 5, 39 - 56. may well depend upon distinct eco-physiological
Widen, T. (1992). Dinobryon faculiferum, a new variants. However, there seem to be no noticeable
name for Dinobryon petiolatum (Chrysophyceae: morphological differences in relation to salinity (G.
Dinobryaceae). Taxon 41, 62 - 63. Novarino, pers. comm.). Whether the 0 vangoorii
found to occurin freshwater is genetically similarto
those inhabiting the marine environment, remains
to be determined.
Ollicola vangoorii (Chrysophyceae,
Chromulinales): an unfamiliar Besides the potential for a mixotrophic existence
loricate protist newly documented [i.e., capacity to derive energy from photosynthesis
and by ingesting bacteria (Novarino et al., 2002)],
in U.K. freshwaters from a the ecological significance of 0. vangoorii is poorly
southern upland loch, Scotland understood. Nonetheless, we present another
interesting algal find that is completely new to the
freshwaters ofthe British Isles.
Pauline Lang & Jan Krokowski
10jim
Ecology Assessment Unit, Scottish Environment
Protection Agency, Angus Smith Building, 6
Parklands Avenue, Eurocentral, Holytown, North
Lanarkshire, ML1 4WQ, Scotland, U.K.
E-mail: [email protected]
Ollicola vangoorii (W. Conrad) Vprs [= Calycomonas
Fig. 1. Ollicola vangoorii. (a) Photomicrograph of 0.
vangoorii (W. Conrad) J.W.G. Lund] is a dagellate vangoorii preserved in Lugol’s iodine. Scalebar, 10
protist belonging to the chrysophyte (‘golden’)
pm. (b) Line drawingof0. vangoorii.
algae (Lang etal, 2011), with a coastal temperate to
polar distribution (Vprs, 1992). The protective ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
envelope ofthis alga is characterized by transverse Thanks especially to Dr Gianfranco Novarino and
striations that produce the distinctly corrugated
Professor David John (Natural History Museum,
appearance of the species’ vase-like lorica (Lund,
London) for formally verifying the identity of 0.
110
:
vangoorii. We are grateful to Dr Elizabeth Haworth Chlorococcalean, or green alga species, belonging to
(Freshwater Biological Association) for confirming the genus Desmatractum West et G.S. West (1902)
that no U.K. records of 0. vangoorii pre-existed in are solitary cells enclosed by a spindle-shaped
the Fritsch Collection. We thank SEPA for providing 'fusiform' envelope, typically broader in the middle
the water chemistry data for Loch Grannoch. We and tapering towards the poles (John & Tsarenko,
also thank Dr Kevin Murphy (University ofGlasgow) 2011).
for proof-reading an earlier version of the
manuscript. In the course of analysing phytoplankton samples
collected as part of the Scottish Environment
REFERENCES Protection Agency's ongoing assessment of the
John, D.M., Whitton, B.A. & Brook, A.J. (2011). The ecological status of freshwater lochs in Scotland
Freshwater Algal Flora of the British Isles, 2nd (Lang et ah, 2013), Desmatractum spryii Nicholls
Edition. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. was found to occur frequently (e.g., 10 - 20 cells per
Lang, P., Ross, W., Krokowski, j. & Doughty, R. 100 ml sub-sample) in Loch Mochrum during the
(2011). The elusive planktonic freshwater summer months of2012. Loch Mochrum lies within
chrysophyte Bitrichia longispina a first record the Machars Peninsula of Dumfries and Galloway,
for Scottish lochs and comparison with the south-western Scotland (NGR: NX 30255 53183).
commoner species, Bitrichia chodatii. The The loch has an area of c. 0.9 km2, is characterized
GlasgowNaturalist25, 106 - 108. by relatively low alkalinity (annual mean 6.57 mg L
Lang, P., Prochazkova, L., Krokowski, J., Meis, S., 1 as CaCCL in 2012) and meso-eutrophic water
Spears, B.M., Milne, 1. & Pottie, J. (2013). The chemistry [annual mean total phosphorus (TP)
bizarre Eustigmatacean alga, Pseudostaurastrum concentration 42.43 pgL 1 in 2012],
limneticum (Borge) Chodat, in a shallow,
nutrient-enriched Scottish loch: new to the Of the nine Desmatractum species recognized, only
British Isles. The Glasgow Naturalist 25, (in one of these, D. bipyramidatum (Chodat) Pascher is
press). currently known to British freshwaters (Lund,
Lund, J.W.G. (1960). Concerning Calycomonas 1942; John &Tsarenko, 2011). Hence, this finding of
Lohmann and Codonomonas Van Goor, Nova D. spryii in a Scottish peninsula loch comprises an
Hedwigia 1, 423 - 429. entirely new record for the U.K. (D. John, pers.
Novarino, G., Oliva, E. & Perez-Uz, B. (2002). comm.).
Nanoplankton protists from the western
Mediterranean Sea. I. Occurrence, ultrastructure, Desmatractum spryii was originally described from
taxonomy and ecological role ofthe mixotrophic the phytoplankton of several hardwater lakes in
flagellate Ollicola vangoorii (Chrysamonadidae = Ontario, Canada (Nicholls et al., 1981), and has
Chrysophyceae p.p.). Scientia Marina 66, 233 - rarely been documented since, aside from Norway
247. (Reymond & Skogstad, 1983), Germany and the
Starmach, K. (1985). Siisswasserflora von Ukraine (Hegewald & Tsarenko, 1998).
Mitteleuropa 1: Chrysophyceae und Desmatractum spryii (Fig. la, b can be
)
Haptophyceae, VEB Gustav Fisher Verlag, p. 108 unmistakably differentiated from other members of
- 109. the genus, by distinct ridges present in the
Vprs, N. (1992). Heterotrophic amoebae, flagellates equatorial region of the cell wall, a consistent
and heliozoa from the Tvarminne area, Gulf of characteristic of the species (Nicholls et al., 1981;
Finland, Ophelia 36, 1 - 109. Reymond & Skogstad, 1983; Reymond & Kouwets,
1984).
The fusiform green alga
Desmatractum spryii Our observations, together with other published
work, imply that D. spryii occupies a broad
(Chlorophyta, Chlorococcales): a ecological niche of ranging alkalinity and nutrient
noteworthy discovery made in a conditions. Although we may presume that
genetically these findings constitute the same
peninsula loch, S.W. Scotland
species, for now, it seems the bio-indicator value of
D. spryii remains undefined. Nonetheless this
Pauline Lang &Jan Krokowski species encompasses a noteworthy discovery and a
Ecology Assessment Unit, Scottish Environment welcomeaddition to the British algal flora.
Protection Agency, Angus Smith Building, 6
Parklands Avenue, Eurocentral, Holytown, North
Lanarkshire, ML1 4WQ, Scotland, UK
E-mail: [email protected]
Ill