Darwin's heterotrophic flagellates

Abstract

The communities of heterotrophic flagellates from intertidal sediments and from samples of surface water collected at coastal sites in Darwin (Northern Territory, Australia) were surveyed as part of a study on the geographic distribution of marine heterotrophic flagellates. Seventy two species were identified from the genera: Acanthocorbis, Acanthoeca, Actinomonas, Amastigomonas, Ancyromonas, Anisonema, Apheloecion, Bicosoeca, Bicosta, Bodo, Bordnamonas, Caecitellus, Cafeteria, Calliacantha, Calotheca, Campyloacantha, Carpediemonas, Ciliophrys, Cosmoeca, Crucispina, Diaphanoeca, Dinema, Diplotheca, Dolium, Goniomonas, Heteronema, Jenningsia, Kiitoksia, Massisteria, Metopion, Metromonas, Ministeria, Nannoeca, Notosolenus, Paraphysomonas, Pendulomonas, Percolomonas, Petalomonas, Platypleura, Pleurasiga, Ploeotia, Protaspis, Pseudobodo, Pseudophyllomitus, Rhynchobodo, Rhynchomonas, Rhynchopus, Salpingoeca, Stephanoeca and Telonema. Two new species, Percolomonas similis and Ploeotia amygdala, are reported. The community structure was compared with those from other sites world-wide using the PRIMER package. The species lists correspond well with lists generated from other Australian sites and from comparable sites worldwide. There is no evidence from this study of endemism of this community.