The solitary planktonic chrysophyte Dinobryon faculiferum: an alga species typically restricted to brackish environments found inhabiting a freshwater loch in northern Scotland

2014·1.3 MB·English

by  Pauline Lang

composition and taxonomy. Archiv fur provided by Loch Kinord is slightly brackish
Protistenkunde 146, 237 - 249. (annual mean sodium and chloride concentrations
respectively 9.23 mg L’1 and 18.05 mg L 1 in 2012),
which generally fits in with the current distribution
pattern ofD.faculiferum (Willen, 1963; Unrein etai,
2010). However, this constitutes the first known
The solitary planktonic record of the species from British freshwaters (D.
John,pers. comm.).
chrysophyte Dinobryon
faculiferum an alga species Although widely-regarded as a marine species, we
: have shown that D. faculiferum is also capable of
typically restricted to brackish inhabiting freshwater environments. Whether our
environments found inhabiting a Scottish specimens of D.faculiferum are genetically
similar to coastal populations derived from
freshwater loch in northern
elsewhere in Europe remains to be determined, but
Scotland identifies an area that would benefit from further
research.
Pauline Lang & Jan Krokowski
EcologyAssessmentUnit, Scottish Environment
ProtectionAgency, Angus Smith Building, 6
ParklandsAvenue, Eurocentral, Holytown, North
Lanarkshire, ML1 4WQ, Scotland, UK
E-mail: [email protected]
Dinobryonfaculiferum (Willen) Widen [= Dinobryon
petiolatum T. Willen] is a solitary planktonic
chrysophyte ('golden') alga (Lang et ai, 2011)
typically restricted to brackish environments
(Willen, 1963), and hence not currently recognized
in John et al. (2011). One of several solitary life
forms in the genus, Dinobryon faculiferum is
distinguished from similar species (e.g., D. borgei)
by a prominently elongate spine, length usually 40 -
60 pm (Willen, 1963), although this characteristic
feature can attimes be quite variable (Willen, 1992)
(Fig. la, b). Although primarily documented from Fig. 1. Dinobryonfaculiferum. (a) Photomicrograph
sea water (e.g., Unrein et ai, 2010), D. faculiferum of D. faculiferum preserved in Lugol's iodine.
has also been recorded amongst the phytoplankton Scalebar, 10 pm. (b) Line drawing ofD.faculiferum.
ofa saline lake in Venezuela (Lewis & Riehl, 1982)
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
butneverpreviouslyfrom U.K. freshwater habitats.
Thanks especially to Dr Fernando Unrein (I1B-
INTECH, Argentina), Dr Pavel Skaloud (Charles
In the course of analysing phytoplankton samples
University, Prague) and Professor David John
collected as part of the Scottish Environment
Protection Agency's ongoing assessment of the (Natural History Museum London) for formally
We
ecological status of freshwater lochs in Scotland verifying the identity of D. faculiferum. are
(Lang et ai, 2013), Dinobryon faculiferum was grateful to Dr Elizabeth Haworth (Freshwater
observed sporadically (e.g., 1-3 cells per 100 ml Biological Association) for confirming that no U.K.
sub-sample) in Loch Kinord, between 2009 and records of D.faculiferum pre-existed in the Fritsch
2012, and often co-occurred with a number ofother Collection. We also thank Dr Kevin Murphy
Dinobryon species (e.g., D. bavaricum D. borgei; D. (University ofGlasgow) for proof-reading an earlier
; version ofthe manuscript.
crenulatum; D. divergens; D. sociale; D. suecicum).
Loch Kinord is a freshwater loch in northern
REFERENCES
Scotland, located approximately 50 km inland from
the North Sea coastline. Its water quality John, D.M., Whitton, B.A. & Brook, A.J. (2011). The
characteristics have been described elsewhere Freshwater Algal Flora of the British Isles, 2nd
(Lang etal., 2012). Perhaps the water environment Edition. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
109
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