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- Title
Feeding, respiration, and excretion of the Black Sea Noctiluca scintillans MacCartney in summer.
- Authors
Drits, A.; Nikishina, A.; Sergeeva, V.; Solov'ev, K.
- Abstract
Studies were conducted at the end of June 2011 in the coastal region of the northeastern part of the Black Sea. The bulk of the Noctiluca scintillans population was observed in the thermocline and reached a density of 40000 ind./m. Analysis of digestive vacuoles content showed that Noctiluca could consume cells of Neoceratium tripos and N. furca, which had been considered inedible for Black Sea zooplankton, as well as temporary cysts of dinoflagellates, presumably of the toxic genus Alexandrium. The Noctiluca population consumed in total 10-30% of the abundance of temporary cysts, 2-29% of primary production, and 2-9% of potential Calanus euxinus egg production. For the first time, the excretion rates of ammonium nitrogen and mineral phosphorus were measured for N. scintillans. Our calculations showed that in summer, excretion by Noctiluca contributed from 4 to 18% and from 15 to 53% of phytoplankton total nitrogen and phosphorus requirements, respectively. The specific growth rate of Noctiluca (0.17-0.35) in summer, estimated from data on the daily food intake and respiration rate, was close to the values obtained in spring.
- Subjects
BLACK Sea; ZOOPLANKTON; THERMOCLINES (Oceanography); NOCTILUCA; DINOFLAGELLATES; PHYTOPLANKTON
- Publication
Oceanology (00014370), 2013, Vol 53, Issue 4, p442
- ISSN
0001-4370
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1134/S0001437013040036