Abstract
Siliceous nanoplankton in the size range 2.5 to 5.5 μm and of a type hitherto undescribed are reported from Eastern Subarctic water samples. Nine distinct cell types were recognizable, each possessing an unusual tetrahedral symmetry, resulting from the arrangement of 8 siliceous plates. Since the cells were abundant (maximum concentration of about 7×105 cells 1-1) and were distributed over a wide oceanic area (136° to 149°W), they could well play an important role in the food web in Subarctic seas. Similar cells were found simultaneously in Antarctic waters (see following paper: Silver et al., 1980), where they were as abundant and widespread as in the Subarctic. Evidence that the siliceous forms are likely a cyst stage and that they may be part of the life cycle of species of siliceous oceanic choanoflagellates is presented.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
Literature cited
Anderson, G. C.: Fractionation of phytoplankton communities off the Washington and Oregon coasts. Limnol. Oceanogr. 10, 477–480 (1965)
Hargraves, P. E.: Studies on marine plankton diatoms. II. Resting spore morphology. J. Phycol. 12, 118–128 (1976)
Hendey, N. I.: An introductory account of the smaller algae of British coastal waters. Part V. Bacillariophyceae (diatoms), 317 pp. London: Her Majesty's Stationary Office 1964
Holligan, P. M.: The productive ocean. Nature, Lond. 279, p. 191 (1979)
Manton, I.: Dolichomastix (Prasinophyceae) from arctic Canada, Alaska and South Africa: a new genus of flagellates with scaly flagella. Phycologia 16, 427–438 (1977)
Manton, I. and K. Oates: Further observations on Calliacantha Leadbeater (Choanoflagellata), with special reference to C. simplex sp. nov. from many parts of the world. Proc. R. Soc. (Ser. B) 204, 287–300 (1979)
Manton, I., J. Sutherland and B. S. C. Leadbeater: Further observations on the fine structure of marine collared flagellates (Choanoflagellata) from arctic Canada and West Greenland: species of Parvicorbicula and Pleurasiga. Can. J. Bot. 54, 1932–1955 (1976)
McCarthy, J. J., W. Rowland Taylor and M. E. Loftus: Significance of nanoplankton in the Chesapeake Bay Estuary and problems associated with the measurement of nanoplankton productivity. Mar. Biol. 24, 7–16 (1974)
Moestrup, O.: Identification by electron microscopy of marine nanoplankton from New Zealand, including the description of four new species. N. Z. Jl Bot. 17, 61–95 (1979)
Mullin, M. M.: Size fractionation of particulate organic carbon in the surface waters of the Western Indian Ocean. Limnol. Oceanogr. 10, 459–462 (1965)
Nishida, S.: Atlas of Pacific nannoplanktons. News of the Osaka micropaleontologists, Special Paper No. 3, April 31, 31 pp. 23 plates. Nagai Park, Higashisumiyoshi-ku, Osaka, 546, Japan: Micropaleontological Society of Osaka, Osaka Museum of Natural History 1979. (Copies available from: Shiro Nishida, Department of Earth Sciences, Nara University of Education, Nara, 630, Japan).
Paerl, H. W. and S. L. Shimp: Preparation of filtered plankton and detritus for study with scanning electron microscopy. Limnol. Oceanogr. 18, 802–805 (1973)
Saijo, J. H.: Size distribution of photosynthesizing phytoplankton in the Indian Ocean. J. oceanogr. Soc. Japan. 19, 19–21 (1964)
Silver, M. W., J. G. Mitchell and D. L. Ringo: Siliceous nanoplankton. II. Newly discovered cysts and abundant choanaoflagellates from the Weddell Sea, Antarctica. Mar. Biol. 58, 211–217 (1980)
Takahashi, M., J. Barwell-Clarke, F. Whitney and P. Koeller: Winter condition of marine plankton populations in Saanich Inlet, B. C., Canada. I. Phytoplankton and its surrounding environment. J. exp. mar. Biol. Ecol. 31, 283–301 (1978)
Throndsen, J.: Salpingoeca spinifera sp. nov., a new planktonic species of the Craspedophyceae recorded in the Arctic. Br. phycol. J. 5, 87–89 (1970a)
Throndsen, J.: Marine planktonic Acanthoecaceans (Craspedophyceae) from Arctic waters. Nytt Mag. Bot. 17, 103–111 (1970b)
Utermöhl, H.: Neu e Wege in der quantitativen Erfassung des Planktons. Verh. int. Verein theor. angew. Limnol. 5, 567–596 (1931)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Communicated by N. D. Holland, La Jolla
Contribution No. 1149 from the Department of Oceanography, University of Washington
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Booth, B.C., Lewin, J. & Norris, R.E. Siliceous nanoplankton I. Newly discovered cysts from the Gulf of Alaska. Marine Biology 58, 205–209 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00391877
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00391877