Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Competition for food and other niche-related studies of three species of salt-marsh foraminifera

  • Published:
Marine Biology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The niches of 3 species of salt-marsh foraminifera, Allogromia laticollaris, Rosalina leei, and Spiroloculina hyalina were assessed in the laboratory. The 3 species reproduce within the following ranges: temperature (10° to 33°C), salinity (12 to 45‰) and pH (5 to 10). Competition for food among the 3 species was evaluated. S. hyalina did not compete with other species. Intraspecific competition (crowding) appears to be an important factor limiting the reproduction of A. laticollaris. Crowding seems to have little effect on the other 2 species. The feeding of foraminifera is affected by the quality and quantity of food organisms. The feeding rate of the species tested is directly related to concentration within a range of 102 to 106 cells fed. S. hyalina is a bacterial feeder. A. laticollaris is a rare species which may become locally abundant when dominant species are missing. S. hyalina is also a rare species, which can bloom where the density of bacteria is relatively high and in the absence of competing species. R. leei is a stable, conspicuous species, whose moderate numbers are relatively unaffected by physical stress and competition. Some new laboratory data on Ammonia beccarii were obtained so that this species could be compared with the other studied. Differences in niches are graphically presented.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Literature cited

  • Bradshaw, J.S.: Laboratory studies of the rate of growth of the foraminifera Streblus beccarii (Linne) var. tepida (Cushman). J. Paleont. 31, 1138–1147 (1957)

    Google Scholar 

  • — Environmental parameters and marsh foraminifera. Limnol. Oceanogr. 13, 26–38 (1968)

    Google Scholar 

  • Brooks, A.L.: Standing crop, vertical distribution and morphometrics of Ammonia beccarii. Limnol. Oceanogr. 12, 667–684 (1967)

    Google Scholar 

  • Buzas, M.A.: Foraminiferal species densities and environmental variables in an estuary. Limnol. Oceanogr. 14, 411–422 (1969)

    Google Scholar 

  • Connell, J.: The influence of interspecific competition and other factors on the distribution of the barnacle Chthamalus stellatus. Ecology 42, 133–146 (1961)

    Google Scholar 

  • Føyn, B.: Foraminiferenstudien II. Zur Kenntnis der asexuellen Fortpflanzung von Discorbina vilardeboana d'Orbigny. Bergens Mus. Årb. 2, 1–16 (1936)

    Google Scholar 

  • Gause, G.F. and A.H. Witt: Behavior of mixed populations and the problem of natural selection. Am. Nat. 69, 596–609 (1935)

    Google Scholar 

  • Hutchinson, G.E. and R. MacArthur: A theoretical ecological model of size distributions among species of animals. Am. Nat. 93, 117–125 (1959)

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee, J.J., H.D. Freudenthal, W. Muller, V. Kossoy, S. Pierce and R. Grossman: Growth and physiology of foraminifera in the laboratory: Part 3 — Initial studies of Rosalina floridana Cushman. Micropaleontology 9, 449–466 (1963)

    Google Scholar 

  • — and M. McEnery: Autogamy in Allogromia laticollaris (Foraminifera). J. Protozool. 17, 184–195 (1970)

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee, J.J., M. McEnery, E.M. Kennedy and H. Rubin: Educing the functional relationships among the diatom floral assemblages within sublittoral marsh ephiphytic communities. In: Modern methods in the study of microbial ecology, Ed. by R. Rosswall. [Bull. ecol. Res. Comm. Stockholm 17, 387–397] 1973

  • Lee, J.J., M. McEnery, E.M. Kennedy and H. Rubin: A nutritional analysis of a sublittoral diatom assemblage epiphytic on Enteromorpha from a Long Island salt marsh. J. Phycol. (In press)

  • ——, S. Pierce, H.D. Freudenthal, and W. Muller: Tracer experiments in feeding littoral foraminifera. J. Protozool. 13, 659–670 (1966)

    Google Scholar 

  • —— and H. Rubin: Quantitative studies on the growth of Allogromia laticollaris (Foraminifera). J. Protozool. 16, 377–395 (1969a)

    Google Scholar 

  • — and W.A. Muller: Trophic dynamics and niches of salt marsh foraminifer. Am Zool. 13, 215–223 (1973)

    Google Scholar 

  • ——, R.J. Stone, M.E. McEnery and W. Zucker: Standing crop of foraminifera in sublittoral epiphytic communities of a Long Island salt marsh. Mar. Biol. 4, 44–61 (1969b)

    Google Scholar 

  • — and S. Pierce: Growth and physiology of foraminifera in the laboratory. Part 4 —monoxenic culture of an allogromiid with notes on its morphology. J. Protozool. 10, 404–411 (1963)

    Google Scholar 

  • ——, M. Tentchoff and J.J.A. Mclaughlin: Growth and physiology of foraminifera in the laboratory. Part 1 — collection and maintenance. Micropaleontology 7, 461–466 (1961)

    Google Scholar 

  • —, J.H. Tietjen, R.J. Stone, W.A. Muller, J. Rullman and M. McEnergy: The cultivation and physiological ecology of members of salt marsh epiphytic communities. Helgoländer wiss. Meeresunters. 20, 136–156 (1970)

    Google Scholar 

  • MacArthur, R.: Population ecology of some warblers of Northeastern coniferous forests. Ecology 39, 599–619 (1958)

    Google Scholar 

  • Matera, N.J. and J.J. Lee: Environmental factors affecting the standing crop of foraminifera in sublittoral and psammolittoral communities of a Long Island salt marsh. Mar. Biol. 14, 89–103 (1972)

    Google Scholar 

  • Monod, J.: The growth of bacterial cultures. A. Rev. Microbiol. 3, 371–394 (1949)

    Google Scholar 

  • Muller, W.A. and J.J. Lee: Apparent indispensability of bacteria in foraminiferan nutrition. J. Protozool. 16, 471–478 (1969)

    Google Scholar 

  • Murray, J.W.: Ecological experiments on foraminifera. J. mar. biol. Ass. U.K. 43, 621–642 (1963)

    Google Scholar 

  • —: Living foraminifera of tidal marshes — a review. J. foraml Res. 1, 153–161 (1971)

    Google Scholar 

  • —: Distribution and ecology of living benthic foraminiferids, 274 pp. Suffolk, England: Richard Clay (Chaucer Press Ltd.) 1973

    Google Scholar 

  • Murdoch, W.W.: Switching in general predators: experiments on predation, specificity and stability of prey populations. Ecol. Monogr. 39, 335–354 (1969)

    Google Scholar 

  • Nicoll, D.: New West American species of the foraminiferal genus Elphidium. J. Paleont. 18, 172–185 (1944)

    Google Scholar 

  • Park, T.: Beetles, competition and populations. Science, N.Y. 138, 1369–1375 (1962)

    Google Scholar 

  • Phleger, F.B.: Ecology and distribution of recent foraminifera, 197 pp. Baltimore, Md.: Johns Hopkins Press 1960

    Google Scholar 

  • —: Foraminiferal ecology and marine geology. Mar. Geol. 1, 16–43 (1964)

    Google Scholar 

  • —: Foraminiferal populations and marine marsh processes. Limnol. Oceanogr. 15, 522–534 (1970)

    Google Scholar 

  • — and J.S. Bradshaw: Sedimentary environments in a marine marsh. Science, N.Y. 154, 1551–1553 (1966)

    Google Scholar 

  • Pierce, S.: A comparative study of two members of the family Allogromiidae (Protozoa, Foraminifera), 74 pp. Ph.D. thesis, New York University 1965

  • Redfield, A.C.: The Barnstable marsh. In: Proceedings of the Salt Marsh Conference, pp 37–39. Athens, Georgia: Marine Institute, University of Georgia Press 1959

    Google Scholar 

  • Sandon, H.: The food of protozoa. Publs Fac. Sci. Egypt. Univ. 1, 1–87 (1932)

    Google Scholar 

  • Strickland, J.D.H. and T.R. Parsons: A practical handbook of seawater analysis. Bull. Fish. Res. Bd Can. 167, 1–311 (1968)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, City University of New York, Long Island, N. Y., USA

    W. A. Muller

  2. New York Institute of Technology, Westbury, Long Island, N. Y., USA

    W. A. Muller

  3. Department of Life Sciences, New York Institute of Technology, Wheatley Road, 11568, Old Westbury, New York, USA

    W. A. Muller

Authors
  1. W. A. Muller
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

Communicated by O. Kinne, Hamburg

This paper is an abridgement of a dissertation presented at City University of New York in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Ph.D. degree.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Muller, W.A. Competition for food and other niche-related studies of three species of salt-marsh foraminifera. Mar. Biol. 31, 339–351 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00392091

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00392091

Keywords

Search

Navigation