Table I. 



Organism 



-Optimum temperatures and light intensities for growth of marine 

 dinoflagellates. 



Optimum 

 temperature 

 range (°C) 



Optimum 



light intensities 



(kilolux) (ly/min) 



Reference 



>6 



5-10 



6-20 

 2-9 



temperature and light, but it was surprising 

 that rates were reduced slightly at higher light 

 intensities. 



Optimum temperatures and intensities for 

 some other marine dinoflagellates are given 

 in Table 1. G. splendeiis has temperature optima 

 that are close to those of other dinoflagellates, 

 but its light intensity requirements are some- 

 what lower. 



These results are useful in providing proper 

 conditions for mass cultures. Normal room 

 temperatures are proper and optimum light 

 intensities (about 5 kilolux) can be provided 

 with banks of 40-W fluorescent lights placed 

 about 5-10 cm away from culture flasks. At a 

 growth rate of 0.4 doublings per day, a culture 

 inoculated with a few hundred cells per milli- 

 liter will increase 10 fold in about 8 days. 



Literature Cited 



Barker, H. A. 



1935. The culture and physiology of the marine 

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 DoDSON, A. N., AND W. H. Thomas. 



1964. Concentrating plankton in a gentle fashion. 

 Limnol. Oceanogr. 9:455-456. 

 Hastings, J. W., and B. M. Sweeney. 



1964. Phased cell division in the marine dino- 

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 N.Y. 

 Hunter, J. R. 



1972. Swimming and feeding behavior of larval 

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 Jitts, H. R., C. D. McAllister, K. Stephens, and 

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1964. The cell division rates of some marine phyto- 



plankters as a function of light and temperature. 

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 Kain, J. M., and G. E. Fogg. 



1960. Studies on the growth of marine phyto- 

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 May. 



1970. Feeding, growth, and survival of Engraulis 

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Rodhe, W. 



1948. Environmental requirements of freshwater 

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 Sweeney, B. M. 



1951. Culture of the dinoflagellale Gymnodinium 



with soil extract. Am. J. Bot. 38(a):669-677. 

 1954. Gymnodinium splendens, a marine dino- 

 flagellale requiring vitamin B12. Am. J. Bot. 

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 Sweeney, B. M., and J. W. Hastings. 



1957. Characteristics of the diurnal rhythm of 

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 Theilacker, G. H., and M. F. McMaster. 



1971. Mass culture of the rotifer Bruchiomis plica- 

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Thomas, W. H. 



1966. Effects of temperature and illuminance on 



cell division rates of three species of tropical 



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Thomas, W. H., H. L. Scotten, and J. S. Bradshaw. 



1963. Thermal gradient incubators for small aquatic 



organisms. Limnol. Oceanogr. 8:357-360. 



William H. Thomas 

 Anne N. Dodson 

 Carol A. Linden 



Instiiiiie of Murine Resources 

 Scripps Institution of Oceanography 

 University of California, San Diego 

 LaJolla, C A 92037 



601 



