The diatom Cylindrotheca gracilis (Breb. ex Kutz) Grun., considered by some as a  Brackish water  species, was found as a massive growth in isolated pools along Dugout Creek, Dickinson County, Iowa. Chemical analyses show the water to be high in S04, Mg., Ca., and low in Cl ions. Comparative data from other waters in the United States containing this species shows similar pattern of high conductivity suggesting that factors other than chlorides might be more critical for growth. United States distribution for this diatom includes: Maryland (brackish water), Ohio (fresh water) and Iowa (fresh water)

Christensen, C. L.

Reimer, C. W.

English

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Notes on the Diatom Cylindrotheca gracilis (Breh. ex Kutz) Grun: Its Ecology and Distribution

University of Northern Iowa

Proceedings of the Iowa Academy of ScienceVolume 75 | Annual Issue Article 91968Notes on the Diatom Cylindrotheca gracilis (Breh.ex Kutz) Grun: Its Ecology and DistributionC. L. ChristensenIowa Central Community CollegeC. W. ReimerAcademy of Natural SciencesCopyright © Copyright 1968 by the Iowa Academy of Science, Inc.Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarworks.uni.edu/piasThis Research is brought to you for free and open access by UNI ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Proceedings of the Iowa Academyof Science by an authorized editor of UNI ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact scholarworks@uni.edu.Recommended CitationChristensen, C. L. and Reimer, C. W. (1968) "Notes on the Diatom Cylindrotheca gracilis (Breh. ex Kutz) Grun: Its Ecology andDistribution," Proceedings of the Iowa Academy of Science: Vol. 75: No. 1 , Article 9.Available at: http://scholarworks.uni.edu/pias/vol75/iss1/9Noles on the Diatom Cylindrotheca gracilis (Breh. ex Kutz) Grun: Its Ecology and Distribution c. L. CHRISTENSEN1 and c. w. REIMER2 Abstract. The diatom Cylindrotheca gracilis (Breb. ex Klitz) Grun., considered by some as a "Brackish water" species, was found as a massive growth in isolated pools along Dugout Creek, Dickinson County, Iowa. Chemical analyses show the water to be high in S04, Mg., Ca., and low in Cl ions. Comparative data from other waters in the United States containing this species shows similar pattern of high conductivity suggesting that factors other than chlorides might be more critical for growth. United States distribution for this diatom includes: Maryland (brackish water), Ohi.o (fresh water) and Iowa (fresh water). The presence in Iowa of a diatom frequently referred to as a "brack-ish water" species seemed, to the authors, a somewhat unusual event which needed some investigation. The study, although originally in-tended as a single report on Cylindrotkeca gracilis (Breb. ex Klitz) Grun. and its physico-chemical environment, includes other United States distribution records together with additional water chemistry data. The spasmatic reporting of this diatom in time and location has produced some conflicting reports and thoughts about its ecology. The authors, thus, have assembled in this paper views expressed in the literature about this taxon and have added several environmental mea-surements that have not previously been reported. C. gracilis (Fam. Nitzschiaceae) is a diatom with rather weakly silicified frustules. When dried the walls collapse. During normal cleaning procedure they become distorted or actually dissolve away. Thus, because of its delicate nature it can best be studied only in fresh condition or in carefully prepared "burned mounts." The cells are spindle shaped, elongate-linear, and show evidence of a torsion of about 20 twists. The ends are protracted and appear sub-capitate when viewed from the proper angle. The keel is spirally arranged, having about 20 keel puncta in 10 microns. Length 60-230 mu. Breadth 4-5 mu. Early taxonomic problems led to the introduction of several names for this taxon, but study indicates that the authors ·were all consider-ing this species. Indeed, this diatom is morphologically quite distinct, lending some weight to the ecological data accompanying distribution reports (Reimer, 1965). lLife Science Department, Iowa Central Community College, Webster City, Iowa. 2Department of Limnology, Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, Penn-sylvania. · 36 1Christensen and Reimer: Notes on the Diatom Cylindrotheca gracilis (Breh. ex Kutz) Grun:Published by UNI ScholarWorks, 19681968] CYLINDROTHECA GRACILIS 37 Hustedt (1928) has given the only good accounting of this species since the original description of the genus by Rabenhorst ( 1859). METHODS Diatom collections were made from Dougout Creek, which cuts through the Excelsior Fen-complex (Section 15, Excelsior Township, Dickinson County, Iowa), and a small pool beside this creek, on August 12, 1966, and again on August 16, 1967. C. gracilis was rare to occa-sional ( .01 - 2 .0. percent of sample) in the creek collections, but was massive in the pool collections ( 50 - 100 percent of sample) . The area of the pool from which chemical samples were taken was 210 sq. cm, The depth was 3 cm. The pool was about 4 cm. from the stream proper. Chemical samples were made with a Modified Hach Portable Water Laboratory. Results are recorded in Table 2. In addition to this data previously unpublished, reports of this diatom from the United States are included. The first is from the Ottawa River (Ohio) collected in 1955. Here the diatom appeared in several samples with a frequency in some collections of about 30 per-cent. The second is from the Patuxent River (;Vfaryland) collected in 1965. Here, C. gracilis is reported as being common to massive (30 -80 percent) on the intertidal flats. Chemical data were obtained from these two localities by the survey team of the Limnology Department 6.f the Academy of Natural Sciences according to the procedure out-lined in Standard Methods ( 1960). The results are presented in Table 2. Table 1 records ecological remarks made about C. gracilis in the literature. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Two points are clear from Table 1: ( 1) there is no specific mention of this diatom being frequent or dominant in fresh water; (2) actual measurements of water chemistry are either lacking or very meager. Both points of information are considered here. The data presented in Table 2 indicate that C. gracilis is capable of living under both high and low chloride concentrations. It has shown up with greater frequency in aestuaries. This seems to have led to the assumption that its optimal habitat involves the presence of some brackish water (i.e., relatively high chloride content). A check of the type locality should have thrown some suspicion on this assumption (Table 1). There have also been a few other recordings of this diatom from fresh water habitats. The pH readings strengthen the assumption that C. gracilis is an alkaliphilic species. Dissolved oxygen data show that it was present under moderately high 0 2 concentrations. Total hardness was high in all cases and this may well be a factor to consider carefully in any attempt to enumerate limiting factors for its growth. 2Proceedings of the Iowa Academy of Science, Vol. 75 [1968], No. 1, Art. 9http://scholarworks.uni.edu/pias/vol75/iss1/938 IOWA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE [Vol. 75 Table I Ecological Remarks About Cylindrotheca gracilis Author and Name Used dcBrebisson (ex Kiitz.) 1849 (Ceratoneis gracilis Breb.) Wm. Smith 1853 (Nitzschia tacnia W.Sm.) L. Rabenhorst 1859 ( C ylindrotheca gerstenbergeri Rabh .) H. vanHeurck 1896 ( Cylindrotheca gracilis (Breb.) Grun.) F. Hustedt 1928 ( Cylindrotheca gracilis (Breb.) Grun.) F. Hustedt 1930 (as above) F. Hustedt 1939) (as above) C. Brockman 1950 . (as above) A. Cl. Euler 1951 ( Cylindrotheca gracilis "alpha" major Cl.Eu.) (C. gracilis "beta" minor CI.Eu!.) F. Hustedt 1957 ( Cylindrotheca gracilis (Breb.) Grun.) N. Fogecl l958 (as above) R. Patrick 1959 (as above) R. Patrick and L. R. Freese 1961 (as above) R. Hendey 1964 (as above) Ecological Remarks In aqua dulci circa Falaise (FRANCE) Brackish water near Lewes (ENGLAND) In cinem Graben im Peissengrunde ..... . bei Dresden .. (GERMANY) Fresh water .. Brussels .. Antwerp (BELGIUM) .. stark eutrophierte, auch schwach salzige Gewasser mit stehendem Wasser (GERMANY) .. halophile, besonders in schwach salzigem Wasser ... (EUROPE) ziemlich verbreitet und nicht selten ... Mesohalob uncl euryhalin. (GERMANY) ... kommt in jeder salz-konzentration vom Siiss-wasser bis zum voll salzi-gen Meerwasser vor ... anscheincnd aero phi! .. (GERMANY) Marine- br. W., Pelagisch-neritisch (FINLAND, SWEDEN) Si.iss-W.(V.H.) Im Gcbiet nicht gefunden · In cler Tidenhubzone ziemlich haufig ... Mesohalo b-euryhalin (.5-4% Cl-Salz) ; pH "indifferent," .wahr-scheinlich oligooxy-biont. .. (GERMANY) ... rare .. River .. foot of waterfall .. alkali-philous, halophilous. pH 7.9. (GREENLAND) ... seems to prefer waters of fairly high ionic content (U.S.A.) rare ... Fresh water .. scraping from pebbles in drainage ditch .. pH 8.6. (ALASKA) .. a brackish-marine species frequent in aestuaries and along the English Channel -~~~--~~~~~~~---'(_E_N_G_L_A~NP~l~~~~~~~ 3Christensen and Reimer: Notes on the Diatom Cylindrotheca gracilis (Breh. ex Kutz) Grun:Published by UNI ScholarWorks, 1968Table 2 Water Chemistry Data for Collecting Sites of C. gracilis State: Ohio Maryland River: Ottawa Patuxent Dutch Date: VII/55 VIII/65 IX/65 low tide high tide H20 Temp. 32° c. 28° c. 29° c. 28° C. 29° c. 19° C. Alk. (MO) 244 36 42 40 41 260 D.O. 9.0 5.4 6.1 5.2 6.9 -Cl. 16.8 1300 1900 1700 2200 -pH 7.8 7.1 7.3 7.1 7.6 8.5 Hardness (Tl) 416 426 620 495 688 250 Ca. (as: CaCOa) 83 90 130 109 135 150 Fe 0.0 0.04 0.06 0.04 0.05 -N02 0.005 - - - - 0.028 NOs 0.157 0.385 0.587 0.356 0.382 9.2 NHa 0.051 - - - - -P04 0.405 0.029 0.044 0.040 0.060 0.350 S04 228 155 255 188 290 18 Turbidity 9.5 103 255 45 92 5JTU Si04 7.9 1.6 2.2 1.3 2.2 16 Cond. (MHO) - .0042 .0053 .0049 .0066 (Figures in ppm except where indicated.) Iowa VIII/66 20° c. 305 5.5 4.5 8.2 ------2.0 350 28 Dugout VIII/67 19° c. 20° c. 285 -- -- -7.6 8.4 2010 1020 230 330 0.26 0.30 0.004 -8.0 8.0 - -0.30 0.65 850 850 27 30 ,_. '° °' ~ (') ~ t"" ..... z t; ~ 0 1-j P::: tr! ('") :> CJ :od > (J t::1 ..... r.n "' '° 4Proceedings of the Iowa Academy of Science, Vol. 75 [1968], No. 1, Art. 9http://scholarworks.uni.edu/pias/vol75/iss1/940 IOWA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE [Vol. 75 In this connection, the matter of total conductivity must not be discarded. Our figures are meager for this measurement, but high con-ductivity is indicated. It is even possible that sulfates or carbonates may be more specifically limiting (in combination with Ca and/or Mg?) and our data is suggestive of this, but more records are neces-sary before we can reliably implicate one or a combination of these factors. It thus appears that C. gracilis thrives under mesohalobic-euryhaline conditions, but that this does not quite describe the ecological valence of the species. The Iowa and Ohio data would indicate that water low in chlorides can support substantial growth of this diatom. C. gracilis has been reported from Iowa previous to this by Drum ( 1964 unpublished thesis) who listed it as "rare" in collections from the Des Moines River. Fee (1967) finds frequencies of 1- 10 percent in collections made from Dutch Creek in east central Iowa. His chem-ical data are included in Table 2. CONCLUSIONS 1. C. gracilis is reported for the United States from the following localities: Patuxent River, Prince Georges County, Maryland (brack-ish water); Ottawa River, Allen County, Ohio (fresh water); Dugout Creek, Dickinson County, Iowa (fresh water). 2. Chemical data of waters in which large populations of this dia-tom were growing suggest the possibility that factors such as total conductivity, concentration of sulfates, magnesium, calcium, or some intercombination of same may be more critical to the growth and dis-tribution of this diatom than the chloride· or sodium ions. 3. Our information supports the reports from the literature insofar as this diatom is shown to be capable of existing as well in inland (fresh, hard water, high ionic content) waters as in brackish water. This further complicates designation of this species as "mesohalob" for, in the sense of chloride content, this diatom cannot be considered as a "salt-water" form even though it could stand as "euryhaline" (Hustedt, 1957). ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Chemical measurements were made by Mr. Jon Sperling, Graduate Assistant, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (August, 1966) and by Mr. Milbert Krone, Spirit Lake Science Instructor, Spirit Lake, Iowa (August, 1967). Dr. Francis Drouet and Dr. Ruth Patrick, both of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, assisted in discuss-ing individual points pertinent to the study. Dr. Patrick, Chairman of the Limnology Department, issued clearance for publication of the Ottawa and Patuxent Rivers chemical data. To these persons the authors express their most sincere thanks. 5Christensen and Reimer: Notes on the Diatom Cylindrotheca gracilis (Breh. ex Kutz) Grun:Published by UNI ScholarWorks, 19681968] CYLINDROTHECA GRACILIS Literature Cited Brockman, C. 1950. Abh. Senck. Natl. Gesell. 478:1-26. Cleve-Euler, A. 1952. K. Svenska Vet. Akad. Hanc:ll. 4 ser. 30) :1-153. Fee, E. J. 1967. Iowa State Jour. Sci. 41(4) :393-411. Foged, N. 1958. Medd. om Gronland 156(4): 1-146, 16 pl. 41 Hendey, R. 1964. An intro. acct. smaller Algae British Coastal Waters. V. 317 pp. 45 pl. Her Maj. Stat. Office. London. Hustedt, F. 1928. Ber. Deut. Bot. Gesell. 46(2) :162-164. ---. 1930. in: A. Pascher. Siissw.-Flora Mitteleuropas. Heft 10. 466 pp. Gustav Fischer. Jena. --. 1939. Abh. Naturw. Ver. Bremen. 31(3) :572-677. --. 1957. Abh. Naturw. Ver. Bremen. 34(3) :181-440. Klitzing, F. T. 1849. Sp. Alg. 922 pp. Brockhaus. Leipzig. Patrick, R. 1959. in: W. T. Edmondson. Fresh Water Biology. 2 ed. 1248 pp. John Wiley & Sons Inc. New York. --- and L. R. Freese. 1961. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. 112(6) :129-293. Rabenhorst, L. 1859. Algen Sachsens. Decc. No. 81-82 (53-54). No.801. Reimer, C. W. 1965. Pub. Health Serv. Bull. 999 W.P. 25:19-28. Smith, Wm. 1853. Syn. British Diat. Vol. I 89 pp. 31 pl. Van Voorst. London. Van Heurck, H. 1896. Treat. Diat. (Transl.) 538 pp. 35 pl. W. Wesley & Son, London. 6Proceedings of the Iowa Academy of Science, Vol. 75 [1968], No. 1, Art. 9http://scholarworks.uni.edu/pias/vol75/iss1/9

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Notes on the Diatom Cylindrotheca gracilis (Breh. ex Kutz) Grun: Its Ecology and Distribution

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