Growth of migrating and non‐migrating cryptophytes in thermally and chemically stratified experimental columns

Abstract

SUMMARY Growth rates of migrating and non‐migrating populations of two strains of freshwater cryptophytes, CCAP 979/67 and 979/62, under different light and nutrient regimes were calculated from experiments conducted in laboratory columns which were thermally stratified. During the experiments, cellular carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, carbohydrate and protein were also analysed. The intention was that the populations would become either phosphorus‐ or nitrogen‐depleted following a period of growth. In all experiments, populations of cryptophytes grew but growth appeared of short duration. In a phosphorus depletion experiment with Cryptomonas 979/67, there was a period of rapid growth starting on day 2 and finishing on day 8, during which the estimated growth rate was c. 0.9 div. day‐1. In a nitrogen depletion experiment, the period of rapid growth of C. 979/67 lasted only for 2–3 days with a growth rate of c. 0.85 div. day‐1. In a phosphorus depletion experiment with C. 979/62, the onset of a period of rapid growth coincided with the commencement of diel vertical migration. The highest growth rate was estimated as c. 1.0 div. day‐1. In a nitrogen depletion experiment, C. 979/62 did not migrate and attained a growth rate of only 0.28 div. day‐1. For C. 979/67 the highest observed growth rate was lower than the maximum potential growth rate of 1.38 div. day‐1 estimated in batch culture. For C. 979/62 the maximum growth rate in the column was similar to the maximum potential growth rate of 0.87 div. day‐1 in batch culture experiments. The results suggest that some migrating cryptophytes under favourable conditions in stratified water columns can attain high growth rates supporting the hypothesis of Raven & Richardson (1984) that, based on cost‐benefit analysis, diel vertical migrations could increase the growth rate of flagellates. Such growth appears of short duration and its ecological importance still requires further verification.