The Size of Diatoms IV. The cell diameters in Rhizosolenia styliformis var. oceanica

• Published in: Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom
• Main Author: Wimpenny, R. S.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 1966
• Subjects: Aquatic Science; Ogilvie; Vedel; North Atlantic
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0025315400033336; https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0025315400033336

Consideration has been given to the cell diameters of twenty-four samples of Rhizosolenia styliformis var. oceanica from a wide range of latitude together with material from eleven other collections already briefly recorded in Part II of this paper. It was found that the cells of the smallest diameter occurred in high latitudesand that the average values were greater at lower latitudes. More auxospore generations were present simultaneously in higher latitudes. An interpretation of these observations is that the prevalence of smaller cell diameters and the simultaneous presence of more auxospore generations in high latitudes could be due to relatively lighter grazing by herbivorous zooplankton in these regions. Measurements of a few samples of a form of Rhizosolenia styliformis (Bright-well) which I called var. oceanica have been published earlier (Wimpenny, 1946), and auxospore formation was recorded from the Faroe-Shetland area. Since that time, owing to the kindness of the late Dr Vedel Taning, I have been able to see sixteen samples taken in the North Atlantic by the Danish research ship 'Dana' in1948. Mr J. Corlett of the Fisheries Laboratory, Lowestoft, has also been good enough to have made available to me three collections containing this variety from the Weather Ships 'Jig' and 'Item' in 1950 and two from the west ofBear Island in 1952. Finally, I have to add two samples of 33 and 50 specimens fromthe northern North Sea area made available to me many years ago by the late Miss Ogilvie and another sample from which I have been able to measure 100 specimens givenme by Dr James Fraser (E 34, 1934).