Trophic interactions between ciliates and nematodes from an intertidal flat

The present study investigated the possibility of a trophic link between ciliates and nematodes in fine sandy sediments of the Molenplaat intertidal flat (Schelde estuary, SW Netherlands). Grazing experiments were conducted under controlled laboratory conditions, with ciliate species isolated from enrichment cultures and nematodes collected directly from the field. Significant reductions in ciliate numbers were found in the presence of the predatory nematode Enoploides longispiculosus , a prominent species (and genus) in fine to medium sandy sediments of the North Sea and adjacent estuaries. N... Mehr ...