Effects of temperature on the growth and ingestion rates of the newly described mixotrophic dinoflagellate Yihiella yeosuensis and its two optimal prey species

Abstract

Water temperature is known to affect the growth and feeding of marine dinoflagellates. Each dinoflagellate species grows well at a certain optimal temperature but dies at very cold and hot temperatures. Thus, changes in water temperatures driven by global warming and extremely high or low temperatures can affect the distribution of dinoflagellates. Yihiella yeosuensis is a mixotrophic dinoflagellate that can feed on only the cryptophyte Teleaulax amphioxeia and the chlorophyte Pyramimonas sp. Furthermore, it grows fast mixotrophically but rarely grows photosynthetically. We explored the direct and indirect effects of water temperature on the growth and ingestion rates of Y. yeosuensis feeding on T. amphioxeia and the growth rates of T. amphioxeia and Pyramimonas sp. under 7 different water temperatures (535 degrees C). Both the autotrophic and mixotrophic growth rates of Y. yeosuensis on T. amphioxeia were significantly affected by temperature. Under the mixotrophic and autotrophic conditions, Y. yeosuensis survived at 10-25 degrees C, but died at 5 degrees C and >= 30 degrees C. The maximum mixotrophic growth rate of Y. yeosuensis on T. amphioxeia (1.16 d(-1)) was achieved at 25 degrees C, whereas the maximum autotrophic growth rate (0.16 d(-1)) was achieved at 15 degrees C. The maximum ingestion rate of Y. yeosuensis on T. amphioxeia (0.24 ng C predator(-1) d(-1)) was achieved at 25 degrees C. The cells of T. amplitoxela survived at 10-25 degrees C, but died at 5 and >= 30 degrees C. The cells of Pyramimonas sp. survived at 5-25 degrees C, but died at 30 degrees C. The maximum growth rate of T. amphioxeia (0.72 d(-1)) and Pyramimonas sp. (0.75 d(-1)) was achieved at 25 degrees C. The abundance of Y. yeosuensis is expected to be high at 25 degrees C, at which its two prey species have their highest growth rates, whereas Y. yeosuensis is expected to be rare or absent at 5 degrees C or >= 30 degrees C at which its two prey species do not survive or grow. Therefore, temperature can directly or indirectly affect the population dynamics and distribution of Y. yeosuensis.