Document of bibliographic reference 100023

BibliographicReference record

Type

Bibliographic resource

Type of document

Journal article

BibLvlCode

AS

Title

Comparing taxonomic and morphological biodiversity of tintinnids (planktonic ciliates) of New Caledonia

Abstract

Tintinnid ciliates are planktonic grazers of nanoplankton. They have a lorica (or shell) into which the ciliate cell can withdraw. The lorica provides information on both the identity and the ecology of the organism because characteristics of the lorica distinguish species and the diameter of the oral opening is related to the size of prey ingested. We examined the relationship between biodiversity estimates on the basis of classifying specimens as belonging to a species or a simple morphological group defined by lorica oral diameter (LOD) in a presumably species-rich area, a tropical lagoon. Two sites were sampled in the lagoon off Noume´a over an annual cycle. The tintinnid fauna was species-rich (76 species) and represented a relatively even distribution of LOD sizes compared to other tropical and temperate sites. Median LOD varied with the fraction of the chlorophyll concentration by .10 mm. Total chlorophyll concentration was related to tintinnid concentration and, in turn, weakly correlated with numbers of species and LOD size-classes. Numbers of species were closely related to numbers of LOD size-classes as were H9 of species and H9 (Shannon index) of LOD size-classes. Thus, metrics of a morphological characteristic, related to the ecology of the organisms, can be used to estimate species diversity.

WebOfScience code

https://www.webofscience.com/wos/woscc/full-record/WOS:000236343600015

Bibliographic citation

Dolan, J.R.; Jacquet, S.; Torréton, J.-P. (2006). Comparing taxonomic and morphological biodiversity of tintinnids (planktonic ciliates) of New Caledonia. Limnol. Oceanogr. 51(2): 950-958

Topic

Marine

Is peer reviewed

true

Access rights

open access

Is accessible for free

true