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JPR Advance Access published online on June 28, 2004
Journal of Plankton Research, doi:10.1093/plankt/fbh120
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Received June 2, 2003
Accepted June 17, 2004

Article

Feeding of planktonic rotifers on ciliates: a method using natural ciliate assemblages labelled with fluorescent microparticles

Célia Joaquim-Justo 1*, Cédric Detry 1, Fabrice Caufman 1, Jean-Pierre Thomé 1

1 Universitity of Liège - Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Ecotoxicology, Quai Van Beneden, 22, B-4020 Liège, Belgium

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: Celia.Joaquim-Justo{at}ulg.ac.be.


  Abstract

A method was developed to allow direct measurements of predation exerted by metazooplankton on ciliates. The method relied on the use of ciliates labelled with fluorescently labelled particles (FMP). Optimal labelling conditions were determined with ciliates from cultures (Tetrahymena pyriformis) and with natural ciliates assemblages sampled in a river. Labelled T. pyriformis were used as tracer food to determine gut passage time (GPT) and ingestion rates of the rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus in the laboratory. Predation of metazooplanton from the lowland river Meuse (Belgium) was determined by labelling natural assemblages of ciliates and using them as tracer food for metazooplankters sampled in the river. Optimal label of ciliates, i.e. sharp distribution of FMP in cells, were obtained with short incubations (10 minutes) and low FMP concentrations (1.105 mL-1). GPT varied between 30 and 45 minutes for B. calyciflorus, and from 25 up to > 35 minutes for rotifers from the river. Ingestion rate of B. calyciflorus fed with T. pyriformis was of 3.3 ± 0.6 ciliate rot-1 h-1, i. e. 1.4 ± 0.3 ngC rot-1 h-1. Metazooplankton species for which ingestion of ciliates could be measured were the rotifers Keratella cochlearis, Euchlanis dilatata and Synchaeta spp. Ingestion rates measured ranged from 0.4 to 12.5 ngC rot-1 h-1. The method proposed proved to be useful in estimating predation of microplankton on ciliates in semi- in situ conditions; in further developments, labelled natural assemblages of ciliates could be used for in situ incubations with the Haney chamber.


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