Ciliates are very important components in most marine ecosystem. They are trophic link between the microbial food web and grazing food chain. In this study, ciliates were collected from 11 sites in the southern South ...Ciliates are very important components in most marine ecosystem. They are trophic link between the microbial food web and grazing food chain. In this study, ciliates were collected from 11 sites in the southern South China Sea （SCS） during August 25 to September 28, 2011. Their composition and distribution at the surface and 75m deep depth of the ocean were studied. A total of 30 species belonging to 22 genera were identified, and 22 species of 15 genera were Tintinnids. Eutintinnusfraknoii and E. stramentus were the most common species. The other dominants were strombidiids ciliates including Strombidium conicum and S. globosaneum, which were followed by the tide form, Mesodinium pulex. Ciliates abundance ranged from 46 indL-1 to 368 indL-1 in the open sites, 46-368indL-1 at surface and 73-198indL-1 at 75m deep layer. In the Yongshu reef, ciliates abundance ranged from 167indL-1 to 365 ind L-1 in the water colunm, similar to that in Sanya coral reef waters. Ciliates composition showed obvious difference between surface and 75m deep layer at station S2 （P〈0.05）, while no similar result was observed at other sites. At 75m deep layer, salinity was negatively related to mixed layer depth （P〈 0.05）, but positively to chlorophyll a concentration （P〈 0.05）, indicating that the change of vertical mixing in water column influenced vertical distribution of ciliates in the southern SCS.展开更多
基金supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (2014CB441500)Special Fund for Agro-scientific Research in the Public Interest (201403008)Major Project of Ministry of Agriculture (NFZX2013)
文摘Ciliates are very important components in most marine ecosystem. They are trophic link between the microbial food web and grazing food chain. In this study, ciliates were collected from 11 sites in the southern South China Sea （SCS） during August 25 to September 28, 2011. Their composition and distribution at the surface and 75m deep depth of the ocean were studied. A total of 30 species belonging to 22 genera were identified, and 22 species of 15 genera were Tintinnids. Eutintinnusfraknoii and E. stramentus were the most common species. The other dominants were strombidiids ciliates including Strombidium conicum and S. globosaneum, which were followed by the tide form, Mesodinium pulex. Ciliates abundance ranged from 46 indL-1 to 368 indL-1 in the open sites, 46-368indL-1 at surface and 73-198indL-1 at 75m deep layer. In the Yongshu reef, ciliates abundance ranged from 167indL-1 to 365 ind L-1 in the water colunm, similar to that in Sanya coral reef waters. Ciliates composition showed obvious difference between surface and 75m deep layer at station S2 （P〈0.05）, while no similar result was observed at other sites. At 75m deep layer, salinity was negatively related to mixed layer depth （P〈 0.05）, but positively to chlorophyll a concentration （P〈 0.05）, indicating that the change of vertical mixing in water column influenced vertical distribution of ciliates in the southern SCS.
