The Biology and Ecology of Tintinnid Ciliates Models for Marine Plankton

by Dolan, John R.; Montagnes, David J. S.; Agatha, Sabine; Coats, D. Wayne; Stoecker, Diane K.

• ISBN13: 9780470671511
• ISBN10: 0470671513
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2012-11-28
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Summary

Planktonic protists both produce and consume most of the primary production in the world ocean. They not only play key roles in the oceans but also represent an astounding amount of diversity: ecological morphological and genetic. However, for most taxa their ecology, morphology, phylogeny and biogeography are either poorly known or appear to be largely unrelated to one another; this hinders our understanding of their biology as well as interpretation of emerging genetic data. Tintinnid ciliates represent a singular exception. Compared to nearly all other groups of planktonic protists, there is a very substantial and relatively detailed literature (both modern and historical) on tintinnids. This volume synthesizes knowledge concerning a wide variety of topics ranging from anatomy and systematics, physiology, behavior, ecology (including ecological roles, predators, parasites, biogeography, and cysts) to fossil history. It will appeal to an audience ranging from advanced undergraduates to researchers in the fields of Oceanography, Marine Biology and Microbial Ecology.

Author Biography

John Dolan has worked on plankton ecology for over 25 years in systems ranging from eutrophic estuaries to the oligotrophic South Pacific. His research subjects are plankton protists, especially ciliates and dinoflagellates and research topics are biodiversity, species packing, and the relationships of form and function.

David Montagnes is an aquatic ecologist. He combines modelling, laboratory, and field studies investigations into the ecophysiology and behaviour of protists- aquatic taxa forming a rich assemblage and occupying environmentally important niches. His research themes include the flow of energy and biomass in ecosystems and how abiotic and biotic properties and anthropogenic perturbations alter individuals, populations, and ecosystems.

Sabine Agatha is a ciliate taxonomist. She has spent over 20 years describing and classifying ciliates mostly from marine habitats by combining morphologic and genetic approaches. The biodiversity, evolution, and biogeography of ciliates are her main research topics. 

Wayne Coats is a recently retired protistologist. His research encompasses ecology, morphology, life history, and taxonomy of dinoflagellates and ciliates. Parasitism and mixotrophy are featured themes of his work. 

Diane Stoecker is a biological oceanographer. Her laboratory and field projects focus on microzooplankton and their grazing on phytoplankton and role as prey for copepods and other mesozooplankton. Plastid retention and mixotrophy in ciliates and dinoflagellates and their effects on population dynamics and trophic transfer are other favorite research topics.

Table of Contents

CONTRIBUTORS, vii

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION TO TINTINNIDS, 1

John R. Dolan

 

1.1  Why a book on tintinnid ciliates?, 2

 

1.2  What is a tintinnid ciliate?, 3

 

1.3  The lorica as the defining characteristic of tintinnid ciliates, 3

 

1.4  History of tintinnid studies, 7

 

1.5  Tintinnids as model organisms for marine plankton, 13

 

1.6  Key points, 16

 

Acknowledgments, 16

 

CHAPTER 2 THE TINTINNID LORICA, 17

Sabine Agatha, Michèle Laval-Peuto and Paul Simon

 

2.1 Introduction, 18

 

2.2 Diversity, formation, and variability of loricae, 19

 

2.3 Ultrastructure of loricae, 32

 

2.4 Chemical composition of loricae, 35

 

2.5 Lorica sedimentation, 40

 

2.6 Key points, 41

 

Acknowledgments, 41

 

CHAPTER 3 SYSTEMATICS AND EVOLUTION OF TINTINNID CILIATES, 42

Sabine Agatha and Michaela C. Strüder-kypke

 

3.1 Introduction, 43

 

3.2 History of tintinnid taxonomy and systematics, 44

 

3.3 Evolution of tintinnids, 49

 

3.4 How to read the tintinnid cladogram, 64

 

3.5 Molecular analysis and comparison with morphologic data, 69

 

3.6 Systematics, 75

 

3.7 Comparison with the evolution of related planktonic ciliates: the aloricate choreotrichids, oligotrichids, and halteriids, 81

 

3.8 Key points, 83

 

Acknowledgments, 84

 

CHAPTER 4 ECOPHYSIOLOGY AND BEHAVIOR OF TINTINNIDS, 85

David J. S. Montagnes

 

4.1 Introduction, 86

 

4.2 Feeding, 86

 

4.3 Growth, 99

 

4.4 Swimming behavior, 106

 

4.5 Response to abiotic factors and interactions with biotic factors, 111

 

4.6 Tintinnids as models and in models, 114

 

4.7 Key points, 121

 

Acknowledgments, 121

 

CHAPTER 5 PREDATORS OF TINTINNIDS, 122

Diane K. Stoecker

 

5.1 Introduction, 123

 

5.2 Predators of tintinnids, 133

 

5.3 Anti-predator defenses of tintinnids, 141

 

5.4 Top-down control of tintinnids, 142

 

5.5 Importance of tintinnids as prey for the predator, 143

 

5.6 Tintinnids as vectors for algal toxins, 143

 

5.7 Key points, 144

 

Acknowledgments, 144

 

CHAPTER 6 PARASITES OF TINTINNIDS, 145

 D. Wayne Coats and Tsvetan R. Bachvaroff

 

6.1 Background, 146

 

6.2 Dinofl agellate parasites: morphology and infection cycle, 149

 

6.3 Molecular evolution of dinofl agellates parasitizing tintinnids, 160

 

6.4 Ecology of tintinnid parasites, 165

 

6.5 Summary and future directions, 169

 

6.6 Key points, 169

 

Acknowledgments, 170

 

CHAPTER 7 COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY OF TINTINNID CYSTS, 171

Takashi Kamiyama

 

7.1 Introduction, 172

 

7.2 Morphology, 173

 

7.3 Encystment and excystment, 176

 

7.4 Ecological function of cysts, 182

 

7.5 Key points, 184

 

Acknowledgments, 185

 

CHAPTER 8 FOSSIL TINTINNIDS, 186

Jere H. Lipps, Thorsten Stoeck and Micah Dunthorn

 

8.1 Introduction: a paucity of data, 187

 

8.2 Proterozoic tintinnids: no evidence of a beginning, 187

 

8.3 Paleozoic tintinnid reports: too thin to know, 191

 

8.4 Mesozoic tintinnids and calpionellids: same shape, different composition, 191

 

8.5 Cenozoic tintinnids: sparse, 192

 

8.6 Organic and agglutinated phanerozoic fossils: the most likely candidates, 193

8.7 Conclusions and perspectives, 195

 

8.8 Key points, 197

 

Acknowledgments, 197

 

CHAPTER 9 TINTINNIDS IN MICROZOOPLANKTON COMMUNITIES, 198

George B. McManus and Luciana F. Santoferrara

 

9.1 Ecology of microzooplankton, 199

 

9.2 Quantitative importance of tintinnids in microzooplankton assemblages, 205

 

9.3 Characteristics that set tintinnids apart from other microzooplankton, 211

 

9.4 Key points, 212

 

Acknowledgments, 213

 

CHAPTER 10 DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS OF TINTINNIDS, 214

John R. Dolan and Richard W. Pierce

 

10.1 Introduction, 215

 

10.2 Biogeography, 215

 

10.3 Assemblages of coastal systems, 233

 

10.4 Assemblages of open waters, 239

 

10.5 Key points, 241

 

Acknowledgments, 243

 

REFERENCES, 244

 

ORGANISM INDEX, 288

 

SUBJECT INDEX, 293

 

The color plate section can be found between pages 136 and 137