PLANKTON CILIATES IN ABALONE CULTIVATION ENVIRONMENT

Totally 33 species of ciliates were found in the culture ponds with surface seawater, and 24 in the culture ponds with sand-filtrated water. The dominant ciliates were Uronema sp.,Vorticella sp. and Strobidium sulcatum. The latter, with water from the well of tideland, had the higher density of plankton ciliates than the former due to the higher culture density and lower water exchange which caused high organic matter content in the water and rapid propagation of ciliates indulging in pollutants. The species composition and density of plankton ciliates in the surface water of the Honghai Bay were also studied. Totally 27 species of ciliates, belonging to 3 classes, 6 orders and 18 genera, were found. 16 species of ciliates were under Tintinnina. Affected by the concentration change of CO_2 in the water environment, the density and species of Tintinnina in the both culture ponds were distinguished from those in the Honghai Bay.