The fine cell morphology of a diatom Skeletonema costatum (Greville) Cleve, 1873 (Bacillariophyta: Thalassiosirales) and its ecological significance
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The appearance of thin threads attached to Skeletonema spp. cells is a relatively uncommon and poorly understood phenomenon. Skeletonema costatum (Greville) Cleve, 1873 forming silicified threads less than 0.2 µm in diameter and up to 50 in length has been studied for the first time in the Black Sea. The effect of various concentrations of silicic acid (DSi) on fine morphology of cells was investigated, and an assumption about the ecological significance of this phenomenon was put forward. As shown, the formation of highly silicified threads requires DSi concentration > 2 µM. One of the ecological roles of threads may be the formation of a protective barrier decreasing the grazing of S. costatum cells by tintinnids. Another possible ecological role of threads is as follows: they may promote the formation of dying cell aggregates boosting the cell sinking rate. This process is considered to be one of the components of the biological carbon pump in marine ecosystems.
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