Heterotrophic flagellates from the saline lakes of the Crimean Peninsula

Abstract

The species composition of heterotrophic flagellates has been studied in saline inland water bodies of the Crimean Peninsula. Twenty-nine species and forms belonging to 20 genera and 5 supergroups have been found. All identified species are new to the studied lakes. Rhynchomonas nasuta, Neobodo designis, Petalomonas poosilla, Percolomonas cosmopolitus and Cafeteria sp. are the most common species. Euryhaline species form about a half of the species list. The number of the flagellate species was the lowest in the samples obtained in hypersaline ponds characterized by the salinity exceeding 100‰. There are no clear patterns observed in the cluster formation at the dendrogram of taxonomic similarity of the studied lakes.

Keywords

• protists
• protozoa
• flagellates
• species composition
• hypersaline habitats
• inland waters