Premium
GROWTH OF THE FILAMENTOUS GREEN ALGA CTENOCLADUS CIRCINNATUS (CHAETOPHORALES, CHLOROPHYCEAE) IN RELATION TO ENVIRONMENTAL SALINITY 1
Author(s) -
Herbst David B.,
Castenholz Richard W.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
journal of phycology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.85
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1529-8817
pISSN - 0022-3646
DOI - 10.1111/j.0022-3646.1994.00588.x
Subject(s) - salinity , biology , chlorophyceae , algae , botany , green algae , acclimatization , chlorophyta , growth rate , productivity , chlorophyll , chlorophyll a , ecology , mathematics , macroeconomics , economics , geometry
Clones of the filamentous green alga Ctenocladus circinnatus Borzi were isolated from algae collected at Abert Lake (Oregon) and Mono Lake (California). Stock cultures were exposed to varied salinities of natural lake water to examine the effects on growth rate, cell form, chlorophyll a , and water content. Growth rates were reduced in both clones with increased salinity over the range 25–100 g·L −1 and were almost completely inhibited at 150 g·L −1 . Chlorophyll a increased between salinities of 25 and 100 g·L −1 , reflecting slower growth, higher proportions of akinetes, and smaller cell sizes as salinity increased. Tissue water content remained essentially constant from 25 to 100 g·L −1 salinity. Shorter cell dimensions with increased salinity suggest that a lower surface‐to‐volume ratio may reduce the potential for passive loss of cell water. Prior acclimation of stock cultures to elevated salinity provided no enhancement of growth response at any salinity. The results indicate that environmental salinity can limit the productivity and distribution of Ctenocladus in nature.