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Symbiotic cooperation between dinos and ciliates in “Sym City”
Author(s) -
LOBBAN CHRISTOPHER S.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
journal of eukaryotic microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.067
H-Index - 77
eISSN - 1550-7408
pISSN - 1066-5234
DOI - 10.1111/j.1550-7408.2005.05202003_1_52.x
Subject(s) - zooxanthellae , biology , dinoflagellate , symbiodinium , hermatypic coral , reef , ecology , genus , symbiosis , coral , coral reef , cnidaria , paleontology , bacteria
Two new ciliates—a heterotrich and a hypotrich—have recently been discovered in the shallow benthos of coral reefs on Guam. They are unusual for ciliates in having zooxanthellae, but they share this characteristic with corals and many other reef animals. The heterotrich was a new genus, named Maristentor dinoferus , the hypotrich a Euplotes sp., and the dinoflagellate partner a Symbiodinium sp. Apart from their interest as dual‐alveolate symbioses, the heterotrich has abundant, fluorescent pigment with intriguing possibilities for comparison with stentorin and blepharismin pigments from freshwater ciliates that serve in both phototropisms and chemical defense. Comparison with deep‐water corals also raises the possibility that the cortical pigment enhances photosynthesis of the zooxanthellae.