Association of Vorticella Campanula and Anabaena Flos-Aqua During a Blue-Green Algal Bloom in Western Lake Erie1

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BRIEF NOTE ASSOCIATION OF VORTICELLA CAMPANULA AND ANABAENA FLOS-AQUA DURING A BLUE-GREEN ALGAL BLOOM IN WESTERN LAKE ERIE1

CHARLES E. HERDENDORF and MARK E. MONACO, Franz Theodore Stone Laboratory, The Ohio State University, Put-in-Bay, OH 43456 OHIO J. SCI. 83 (5): 270-271, 1983

Peritrichous ciliates are commonly the water column. The pulsating feeding found attached to a variety of substrates in behavior of Vortkella produced a distinct aquatic habitats, but large numbers of gliding motion of the algal colony. Such peritrichs in plankton are infrequent (Pratt observations suggest that mutual benefits and Rosen 1983). However, several in- may be assigned to this association. Stiller vestigators have reported this phenomenon (1940) observed similar rotary movements (Chandler 1940, Davis 1954, 1962, Kerr for a different peritrichous species (Vorti- 1983). The purpose of this note is to docu- cella anabaenae) associated with an Ana- ment the occurrence of a particular associ- baena sp. in central European lakes. The ation between a vorticellid species and a often rapid movement of the algal mass planktonic blue-green alga observed in may provide an advantage not available to western Lake Erie. other non-motile planktonic algae. Pratt During mid-summer of 1980, a marked and Rosen (1983) speculated that the blue-green algal bloom occurred in the is- "swimming" motion created by sessile lands region of western Lake Erie which protozoans on algae may be advantageous persisted from 5 July to 21 July. The domi- in maintaining nutrient flow past the algal nant blue-green taxa were Aphanizomenon cells preventing local nutrient depletion flos-aqua (up to 20,000 cells/ml) and Mi- and in changing position in the water col- crocystis aeruginosa (up to 300 cells/ml). umn. They also hypothesized a nutrient Microscopic examination of the Ana- baena colonies, which average 36 cells/ filament interwoven to form a spherical mass, revealed that a large number of protozoan Vortkella campanula was associated with each colony. As many as 66 epiphytic ciliates/ml were found on the algal filaments. The contractile stalks of the Vorti- cella were attached to the outer filament segments forming a pulsating corona around the entire algal mass (fig. 1). The association of the protozoan and the algae remained relatively constant throughout the period of the bloom. Since Vortkella has a substrate require- ment, we suspect that the initial attach- ment may take place near the lake bottom but then persists as the algal colony rises in FIGURE 1. Microphotograph of dispersed Ana- 'Manuscript received 12 November 1982 and in baena flos-aqua colony showing Vortkella campanula revised form 27 June 1983 (#82-35). attached to filaments. 270 OhioJ. Sci. VORTICELLA AND ANABAENA IN LAKE ERIE 271 exchange between the organisms, includ- LITERATURE CITED ing dissolved organic and inorganic nutri- Chandler, D. C. 1940 Limnological studies of ents and epiphytic bacteria. western Lake Erie. I. Plankton and certain In 1981 and 1982, the algal densities physical-chemical data of the Bass Islands region, from September 1938, to November 1939- Ohio were much decreased during mid-summer J. Sci. 40: 291-336. compared with the previous year, but Davis, C. C. 1954 A preliminary study of the Anabaena colonies were common. How- plankton of the Cleveland Harbor area, Ohio. III. ever, fewer colonies of Anabaena had the The zooplankton and general ecological consid- erations of phytoplankton and zooplankton pro- epizoic association with Vorticella. Davis duction. OhioJ. Sci. 54: 388-408. (1968), working in western Lake Erie, 1962 The plankton of the Cleveland found that the maxima for Vorticella Harbor area of Lake Erie in 1956-57. Ecol. Mono- usually occurs coincident with the phy- gr. 32: 209-247. toplankton maxima. 1968 The July 1967 zooplankton of Lake Erie. Proc. Conf. Great Lakes Res. 11: Ciliate epibionts, particularly through 61-75. the association described above, may have Kerr, S.J. 1983 Colonization of blue-green al- a significant role in blue-green algal pro- gae by Vorticella (Ciliata: Peritrichida) and plank- ductivity within eutrophic lakes. Kerr tonic algae. Trans. Amer. Microscop. Soc. 102: (1983) showed the numerical importance 38-47. Pratt, J. R. and B. H. Rosen 1983 Associations of epiphytic vorticellids on planktonic of species of Vorticella (Peritrichida) and plank- blue-green algae but did not explore the tonic algae. Trans. Amer. Microscop. Soc. 102: possibility of mutualistic associations. 48-54. Laboratory investigations are needed Stiller, J. 1940 Beitrag zur Peritrichenfauna des to determine if the benefits suggested for Grossen Ploner Seas in Holstein. (Contribution on the peritrich fauna of the larger Ploner lakes in each organism may be assigned to the Holstein). Arch. f. Hydrobiol. 36: 263-285. associations.