低盐度围隔调控环境浮游纤毛虫群落结构与动态

为了解施肥与水质调控对养殖水体中原生动物的影响,2008年6-10月,对低盐度围隔调控环境中浮游纤毛虫种群结构及动态变化进行了研究.通过活体观察和标本固定染色法共检测到浮游纤毛虫48种,分属于3纲11目37属,其中寡毛目纤毛虫种类8种;缘毛目7种,腹毛目和盾纤目均为6种;优势种多为富营养化水体中或耐污性种类,如圆筒状拟铃壳虫(Tintinnopsis cylindrata)、球形急游虫(Stranbidium globosaneum)、海洋帆口虫(Pleuronema marinum)、蚤状中缢虫(Mesodinium pulex)、毛板壳虫(Coleps hirtus)、瓜形膜袋虫(Cyclidium citrullus)等.围隔不同施肥处理,对纤毛虫的群落组成与动态变化影响显著,试验期间,围隔中纤毛虫种类平均值最高为9种,最低为4种;密度平均值最高为112.30cells·ml-1,最低为19.50 cells·ml-1;10个围隔中纤毛虫种类平均分别为6～7种,密度平均为52.56 cells·ml-1;施有机肥培藻的围隔,优势种始终是嗜污性较强的纤毛虫.纤毛虫动态与浮游藻类动态变化密切相关,二者的密度变化特点为前期和后期低,中期较高;但多样性的变化规律相反,纤毛虫的多样性表现为前期和后期低,中期较高,藻类的多样性表现为前期和后期高,中期较低.     

杭州沼泽性水域原生动物群落变化规律

2005年4月-2006年3月调查了杭州市郊下沙区一个沼泽性水域原生动物群落的变化规律。共观察到各类原生动物265种,其中鞭毛虫114种,占原生动物总数的43%,其中植物性鞭毛虫占91%,动物性鞭毛虫仅占9%;肉足虫34种,占原生动物总数的13%,纤毛虫117种,占原生动物总数的44%。原生动物在此水域1个周年内的分布特征表现为植物性鞭毛虫种类多于动物性鞭毛虫,纤毛虫种类多于肉足虫种类。原生动物群落的结构参数(种类组成、个体丰度和多样性指数)因水质的变化而变化。此水域原生动物的优势种为梨形扁裸藻(Phacus pyrum)、旋转囊裸藻(Trachelomonas volvocina)、绿色裸藻(Euglenaviridis)和刺鱼状裸藻(Euglena gasterosteus),常年居留种为裸藻(Euglenasp.)、奇形扁裸藻(Phacus anomalus)、钟形虫(Vorticellasp.)、尾草履虫(Paramecium caudatum)和多态喇叭虫(Stentor polymorphrus)。全年3个采样站的Margalef生物多样性指数为1.056～6.054。     

冬季上海市城区河道中原生动物群落的结构特征

于2007年11月至2008年1月,对上海市城区经过初步修复的四条河道(午潮港、横港、朝阳河和曹杨环浜)中原生动物的群落结构和多样性进行了调查.共鉴定出原生动物88种,其中鞭毛虫31种,肉足虫13种,纤毛虫44种.除曹杨环浜无优势种外,其他三条河道的种类均以耐污种类为优势种,如波豆虫 Bodo sp.、滴虫 Monas sp.、隐藻 Cryptomonas sp.等;四条河道均呈现纤毛虫和鞭毛虫种类较为丰富,肉足虫相对较少的现象.四条河道中原生动物多样性指数的平均值变动在1.14～2.87之间;密度变动在900.35～2837.89 ind/ml间.分析发现,前期生态治理较为成功的曹杨环浜具有多样性指数高、密度大、无明显优势种等特征,而其他三条河道中原生动物种类相对较单一,且分布不均匀,主要优势种为一些耐污种类.提示经过人工合理的修复,可以有效改善受污染河道的状况.因此对已经初步修复河道的生态系统进行评估,探索和制定出有针对性的修复方案,并对其加以合理的维护,对建立健康、稳态的河道生态系统是十分必要的.     

珠三角高产养殖池塘浮游动物群落结构及水质评价

为进一步了解珠三角高产池塘养殖环境状况, 分析珠三角高产池塘浮游动物群落特征及与池塘水质的相关性, 研究于2016年7—8月对珠三角地区6种主要高产养殖模式30口池塘的浮游动物和环境因子进行了调查。研究结果表明: (1)共采集浮游动物55种, 其中原生动物17种、轮虫29种、枝角类4种、桡足类5种。6种养殖模式池塘中, 大口黑鲈S池塘浮游动物种类数最多, 为34种; 草鱼池塘最少, 为18种。(2)30口池塘共记录优势种8种, 其中原生动物和轮虫各4种, 枝角类和桡足类均不占优势。在6种养殖模式池塘中, 优势种也仅包括原生动物和轮虫, 优势种种类数变化范围为5—8种。(3)30口池塘浮游动物平均密度和生物量均较高, 分别为21354 ind./L和9.36 mg/L。方差分析结果表明6种养殖模式池塘浮游动物密度和生物量均不存在显著差异。(4)RDA分析结果表明, TP和pH是影响珠三角池塘浮游动物分布的主要因素。采用浮游动物丰度和生物量对水质的评价结果显示, 6种养殖模式池塘均处于富营养化状态; 运用Shannon-Wiener多样性指数和Margalef多样性指数对水质的评价结果表明, 6种模式养殖池塘均处于α-中污状态, 且以草鱼池塘的污染最为严重。本研究首次利用浮游动物对珠三角高产池塘进行水质评价, 研究结果可为池塘生态修复和管理提供一定的指导意见。     

乌鳢养殖对浮游动物群落结构的影响

通过对乌鳢(Channa argus)养殖池塘和对照水体即排水区和南阳湖的比较研究,探讨了乌鳢养殖对浮游动物群落结构的影响。研究表明,乌鳢养殖池塘的浮游动物物种数24种,密度1 032 ind/L,均明显低于周边水体(排水区64种,密度1 995 ind/L;近湖区65种,密度2 569 ind/L),而其生物量达4.65 mg/L,高于周边水体(排水区3.10 mg/L,近湖区2.85 mg/L),这主要是由于养殖池塘浮游动物生物量以枝角类、桡足类和无节幼体等大型浮游动物(95.70%)为主体,原生动物和轮虫所占比例(4.30%)相对较小,而周边水体则以原生动物和轮虫为主体;养殖池塘优势种为大型溞(Daphnia magna)和萼花臂尾轮虫(Brachionus calyciflorus),亦不同于周边水体的优势种;综合分析浮游动物优势种和多样性指数的评价结果,池塘水体呈中度污染,排水区水体呈轻度-中度污染,近南阳湖水域达到了轻度污染水平,这表明乌鳢养殖对周边水体造成了一定程度污染。     

鳜塘浮游生物DNA序列多样性、水质和疾病的关系

应用RAPD技术研究了鳜塘水生生态系统中浮游生物群落α-多样性,分析了浮游生物群落DNA序列丰富度与水质和疾病发生之间的关系,探讨了池塘养殖密度和短周期、小密度、高投饵量养殖方式对浮游生物群落DNA序列丰富度及水质的影响.结果表明：1)鳜塘浮游生物群落DNA序列丰富度与水质综合指数呈显著负相关关系(P<0.01); 2)池塘高密度养殖会造成浮游生物丰富度降低和水质综合指数升高;3)短周期、小密度、高投饵量的养殖模式对环境的损伤较大;4)浮游生物群落DNA指纹01矩阵和水质理化因子样品聚类分析表明,发病塘在水质理化因子和浮游生物群落上具有相似性,为鳜疾病预报模型的建立奠定了基础.     

重污染河道治理中的浮游动物群落结构变化研究

利用氧化塘-河道原位生物修复的方法对广州市古廖涌黑臭水体进行治理,并对治理前、氧化塘处理、原位生物修复河段上游和下游四个不同治理阶段的水体进行水质和浮游动物的监测,试图通过对监测结果的对比分析,确定反应河道黑臭水体不同治理程度的浮游动物群落结构特征和指示种。研究结果表明,在不同的修复阶段,水体COD_cr、BOD₅、氮和磷等污染物逐步得到去除,透明度大大提高;浮游动物群落结构发生显著变化,浮游动物群落生物多样性和均匀度提高,浮游动物种类和数量明显增加,尤其是轮虫的种类和数量的变化。水体修复完成后,浮游动物的优势种轮虫由花箧臂尾轮虫(Brachionus capsuliflorus)转变为角突臂尾轮虫(Brachionus angularis)和Brachionus rubens,枝角类优势种为微型裸腹溞(Moina micrura),桡足类在数量上以无节幼体(Naupii)占绝对优势;可作为重污染河道水体修复的指示浮游动物主要有轮虫的花箧臂尾轮虫、角突臂尾轮虫、Brachionus rubens、螺形龟甲轮虫(Keratella cochlearis)、奇异六腕轮虫(Pedalia mira)、胶鞘轮虫(Collothecasp.),桡足类的无节幼体,枝角类的微型裸腹溞。     

紧水滩水库浮游轮虫群落与水质生态学评价

2010年5月-2011年3月,调查了紧水滩水库(Ⅰ-Ⅵ站)浮游轮虫的群落及与水质之间的关系.共鉴定轮虫45种,污染指标种37种,其中寡污-β中污带、β中污带和β-α中污带污染指示种类分别占总指示轮虫的32.4%、35.1%和24.3%.优势种为螺形龟甲轮虫(Keratella cochlearis)、针簇多肢轮虫(Polyarthra trigla)和等刺异尾轮虫(Trichocerca stylata).轮虫群落密度变幅为4.8～542.5ind.·L^-1,平均135.7ind.·L^-1;Shannon-Wiener多样性指数H′变幅为2.60～3.65,平均3.20:Q_B/T值变幅为0.83～2.50,平均1.39.Ⅰ-Ⅱ站的群落密度和多样性指数较低,Q_B/T值较大;而Ⅲ-Ⅵ站的群落密度和多样性指数均较高,Q_B/T值较小.Q_B/T值随着水体透明度的增大而明显下降.紧水滩水库属于寡污-中污(贫-中营养型)水体,其中Ⅰ-Ⅱ站为中污(中营养型),Ⅲ-Ⅵ站为寡污-β中污(贫营养型)水体.     

景观水体周丛生纤毛虫群落结构及其与环境因子的关系

为了解载玻片法获取的周丛生纤毛虫群落可否用于监测景观水体,于2015年利用载玻片采样法对上海东南角的一处景观水体的周丛生纤毛虫的群落结构进行了周年调查,并对其与环境因子之间的相关性进行了研究。共检出12目51种周丛生纤毛虫。周丛生纤毛虫的年平均密度为127.29个/cm~2,2月密度最低,为24.27个/cm~2,5月密度最高,为248.57个/cm~2;其群落结构应对水体环境的变化呈现显著的季节性变动。多元统计分析表明,总磷浓度和水温(T)均是影响周丛生纤毛虫群落结构的主要环境因子。作为周丛生纤毛虫最主要的类群,缘毛目纤毛虫的密度与透明度(SD)和电导率(Spc)呈显著正相关,与T呈极显著正相关;丁丁目、毛口目和侧口目纤毛虫的密度与SD呈显著负相关,其中丁丁目纤毛虫的密度与T呈极显著负相关;此外,丁丁目纤毛虫的密度与总氮(TN)浓度呈极显著正相关。冗余分析显示,优势种钟形钟虫、钟虫sp.2、聚缩虫sp.1、亨氏累枝虫、沟钟虫和螅状独缩虫的密度与环境因子具有较好相关性。研究表明,载玻片法采集的周丛生纤毛虫能很好的反映水质变化,该方法可以作为景观水体水质监测方法的一个补充。     

楚科奇海及白令海大型底栖生物初步研究

1999年夏季在楚科奇海、白令海采用30 cm×30 cm箱式取样器,取得16个站位大型底栖生物定量样品。经分析研究有大型底栖生物92科164种,其中多毛类、软体动物和甲壳动物种数最多,占总种数的88.41％,三者构成北极楚科奇海和白令海大型底栖生物的主要类群。优势种有独毛虫属一种(Tharyx sp.) 、齿吻沙蚕属一种(Nephtys sp.)、囊叶齿吻沙蚕(Nephtys caeca)、平滑胡桃蛤(Ennucula tenuis)、短吻状蛤(Nuculana pernula pernuloides)、拟猛钩虾属一种( sp.)、日本沙钩虾(Byblis japonicus)和萨氏真蛇尾(Ophiura sarsii)等。楚科奇海和白令海大型底栖生物平均生物量为111.83 g/m²,平均栖息密度为2538个/m²。生物量和栖息密度均以多毛类和软体动物占多数。楚科奇海和白令海大型底栖生物有5个群落类型：Ⅰ. 梯额虫(Scalibregma inflatum)-紫轮参(Polycheira rufescens)-结栉盖蛇尾(Stegophiura nodosa)群落, Ⅱ. 拟单指虫(Cossurella sp.)-平滑胡桃蛤-鳞甲钩虾(Lepidepecreum sp.)群落, Ⅲ. 缩头竹节虫(Maldane sarai)-葛氏希泊钩虾(Hippomedon gorbunovi)-萨氏真蛇尾群落, Ⅳ.齿吻沙蚕(Nephtys sp.)-平滑胡桃蛤-日本沙钩虾-戈芬星虫(Golfingia sp.)群落和白令海群落, 即索沙蚕(Lumbrineris fragilis)-户枢蛤(Asthenothaerus sp.)-太平洋方甲涟虫(Eudorella pacifica)-革囊星虫(Phascolion sp.)群落。楚科奇海的群落Ⅰ、群落Ⅱ和白令海各群落结构相对稳定;楚科奇海群落Ⅲ和群落Ⅳ出现一定扰动。     

三北地区内陆盐水的原生动物

1990-1991年在三北地区盐度0.57-214‰的28个内陆水体,采集了162号浮游动物水样.共见到原生动物58种,其中肉足虫13种,纤毛虫45种.结果表明,原生动物,特别是纤毛虫类是内陆盐水浮游动物群落结构的重要组成部分,在一些超盐水体往往密度较大,有时成为优势种.随着盐度升高,原生动物总种数和多样性指数均趋于减小,而其密度和生物量却显着增大.文中讨论了内陆盐水原生动物区系的种类组成和分布及其与环境因子的关系.       

Spatio-temporal Patterns of Protozoan Communities in a Meso-eutrophic Reservoir (Esch-sur-Sûre,Luxembourg)

The spatio-temporal distribution of the heterotrophic nanoflagellates (HNF) and ciliates was monitored in the reservoir of Esch-sur-Sûre during the year 1999. Three main periods of protozoan development were observed, in early April, early May, and in July. On the basis of the seasonal dynamics, it appeared that the early spring development of protozoa was probably not controlled by resources or predators. The second protozoan development was progressively controlled by the increase of metazooplankton density that led to the clear water phase characterised by very low protozoan densities and biomasses. A summer development of protozoa was possible thanks to the development of bacteria and moderate metazooplankton densities due to the appearance of non-edible algae. Prorodontida, Halteriida and Strombidiida were the dominant ciliates in the upper part of the water column. A development of Tintinnida was moreover observed in spring whereas Philasterida and Sessilida developed in winter and summer. Ciliates occupied the entire water column in spring and were concentrated in the epilimnion and the metalimnion during the summer period where they fed on bacteria and algae.     

Kinetics of growth of the ciliate Tetrahymena pyriformis on Escherichia coli

The growth of the ciliate Tetrahymena pyriformis on non-growing Escherichia coli has been studied by following the time courses of population densities and protozoan mean cell volume in batch cultures. Viable, non-encysted protozoa always stopped feeding before the bacterial density was reduced to zero and non-feeding ciliates tended to swim faster than feeding ciliates. In addition, the number of bacteria and other particles of bacterial size consumed in the formation of one new ciliate, when averaged over the lag and reproductive phases of a culture, declined toward a limiting value of about 1.6 x 10(4) particles per ciliate as the initial density of such particles was increased.     

A Mesocosm Study of the Changes in Marine Flagellate and Ciliate Communities in a Crude Oil Bioremediation Trial

Protozoan grazers play an important role in controlling the density of crude-oil degrading marine communities as has been evidenced in a number of microcosm experiments. However, small bioreactors contain a low initial titre of protozoa and the growth of hydrocarbon-depleting bacteria is accompanied by the fast depletion of mineral nutrients and oxygen, which makes microcosms rather unsuitable for simulating the sequence of events after the oil spill in natural seawater environment. In the present study, the population dynamics of marine protozoan community have been analysed in a 500 l mesocosm experiment involving bioaugmented oil booms that contained oil sorbents and slow-release fertilisers. A significant increase in numbers of marine flagellates and ciliates on biofilms of oil-degrading microbes was microscopically observed as early as 8 days after the start of the experiment, when protozoa exhibited a population density peak making up to 3,000 cells ml⁻¹. Further, the protozoan density varied throughout the experiment, but never dropped below 80 cells ml⁻¹. An 18S rRNA gene-based fingerprinting analysis revealed several changes within the eukaryotic community over the whole course of the experiment. Initial growth of flagellates and small ciliates was followed by a predominance of larger protozoa. According to microscopic observations and SSU rRNA molecular analyses, most predominant were the ciliates belonging to Euplotidae and Scuticociliatia. This is the first study to characterise the eukaryotic communities specifically in a large-scale oil bioremediation trial using both microscopy-based and several molecular techniques.     

三峡水库运行期间原生动物群落的时空异质性

于2010年10月—2011年6月三峡水库正常运行周期内对库区干流原生动物进行调查,研究其空间分布及水库周期排蓄期间的变化。共检测到原生动物99种,蓄水后纤毛虫有增多的趋势。水库运行的不同阶段优势种不同,大致演变为:砂壳纤毛虫(蓄水期)—非砂壳类纤毛虫(高位运行期间)—有壳肉足虫(低位运行期间)。不同水域优势种也存在差异,从上游到下游特征指示种变化为:有壳肉足虫(变动回水区)—纤毛虫(湖泊区)。结果表明,三峡水库原生动物的分布具有明显的时空异质性(P0.05),影响原生动物时空分布的主要因素有透明度、温度、电导率和叶绿素a。原生动物平均密度为952.19个/L,平均生物量为8.14μg/L。蓄水期上游现存量高于下游,低位运行期间则低于下游。原生动物Marglef和Shannonn-Weiver多样性指数平均值分别为3.78和2.18,1月份最低,6月份最高。蓄水175 m后上游变动回水区原生动物具有较高的丰度。水库冬蓄夏排的运行模式模糊了河流本身的季节变化,使原生动物的种类和现存量更多的受水库水动力学的影响,使水体理化因子和水文特征呈现明显的时空差异,最终形成原生动物种群的时空异质性分布。     

Estimating the growth potential of the soil protozoan community

We have developed a method for determining the potential abundance of free-living protozoa in soil. The method permits enumeration of four major functional groups (flagellates, naked amoebae, testate amoebae, and ciliates) and it overcomes some limitations and problems of the usual 'direct' and 'most probable number' methods. Potential abundance is determined using light microscopy, at specific time intervals, after quantitative re-wetting of air-dried soil with rain water. No exogenous carbon substrates or mineral nutrients are employed, so the protozoan community that develops is a function of the resources and inhibitors present in the original field sample. The method was applied to 100 soil samples (25 plots x 4 seasons) from an upland grassland (Sourhope, Southern Scotland) in the UK. Median abundances for all four functional groups lie close to those derived from the literature on protozoa living in diverse soil types. Flagellates are the most abundant group in soil, followed by the naked amoebae, then the testate amoebae and ciliates. This order is inversely related to typical organism size in each group. Moreover, preliminary evidence indicates that each functional group contains roughly the same number of species. All of these observations would be consistent with soil having fractal structure across the size-scale perceived by protozoa. The method described will be useful for comparing the effects on the soil protozoan community of different soil treatments (e.g. liming and biocides).     

Distribution and diversity of soil protozoa in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica

The polar desert soils of the McMurdo Dry Valley region support a limited water film community dominated by flagellates, amoebae, and nematodes. This study describes the protozoa and compares their distribution to nematodes. In 50 samples collected from 12 locations, rotifers and tardigrades were infrequent, and ciliates and testacea were rare. Soil protozoa occurred at all sites but the dominant nematode, Scottnema lindsayae (Timm 1971), did not, indicating soil habitat factors limiting nematode distribution are not limiting to protozoa. In contrast to the nematode species, which are all endemic to Antarctica, there were no endemic protozoan morphospecies found in our samples. The protozoan abundance was several orders of magnitude greater than that of the nematodes, and the species diversity was much greater. Most of the protozoa grew better at lower incubation temperatures. The ubiquitous distribution of protozoa suggests their importance in soil food webs and nutrient cycling in the dry valleys.     

Mureinolytic ability of the rumen ciliate <Emphasis Type="Italic">Diploplastron affine</Emphasis>

Rumen ciliate protozoa intensively engulf bacteria. However, their ability to utilize murein which is the main polysaccharide of bacterial cell wall has hardly been recognized. The present study concerns the ability of the rumen protozoa Diploplastron affine to digest and ferment murein. The ciliates were isolated from the rumen fluid and grown in vitro or inoculated into the rumen of defaunated sheep. The results of long-term cultivation of protozoa showed a positive correlation between their number and murein content in the culture medium. It was also found that bacteria-free D. affine ciliates incubated with or without murein produced volatile fatty acids at the rate of 12.3 and 8.7 pmol/h per protozoan, respectively, acetic, butyric and propionic acids being the three main acids released to the medium. Enzyme studies performed with the use of protozoan cell extract prepared from bacteria-free ciliates degraded murein at a rate of 25 U/mg protein per h; two mureinolytic enzymes were identified by zymographic technique in the examined preparation.     

东海原甲藻（Prorocentrum donghaiensis）对原生动物群落结构影响的现场船基实验

2005年在长江口赤潮频发海域调查期间,分别于4月27日、5月4日和5月8日,在zzf1、zc18a和ra5站位利用现场船基培养的方法,研究了添加到赤潮密度106 cells L-1的东海原甲藻（Prorocentrum donghaiense）对原生动物群落结构的影响。结果发现,赤潮密度的东海原甲藻抑制了小型无壳纤毛虫的种群数量,而没有抑制中大型砂壳纤毛虫和夜光虫（Noctiluca scintillans）的种群数量,从而使得原生动物群落向中大型种类演替,这种影响的程度与原生动物本身的群落组成和浮游植物的组成密切相关。添加东海原甲藻72 h后,在以小型无壳纤毛虫管游虫（Cyrtostrombidium sp.）为优势种的zzf1站位,演替为以大型原生动物夜光虫为优势种的群落;在以中大型原生动物百乐拟铃虫（Tintinnospsis beroidea）和夜光虫为优势种的zc18a站位,仍然是以此为优势种,且大型原生动物夜光虫在群落中的比例上升;在以小型无壳纤毛虫急游虫2（Strombidium sp.2）为优势种的ra5站位,演替为以中大型原生动物百乐拟铃虫和亚速岛网纹虫（Favella azorica）为优势种的群落。zzf1和ra5站位实验组中原生动物的总丰度都呈下降趋势,而zc18a站位变化不明显,这是由于前两个站位的最优势种管游虫（zzf1站位）和急游虫2（ra5站位）的丰度迅速下降,而zc18a站位的优势种百乐拟铃虫和夜光虫的丰度比较稳定造成的。在zzf1和zc18a站位,对照组和实验组中原生动物的总生物量在实验前后都没有大的变化,而在ra5站位却均呈下降的趋势。这可能与浮游植物的组成有关,zzf1和zc18a站位是以无毒的锥状斯氏藻（Scrippsiella trochoidea）和螺旋环沟藻（Gyrodinium spirale）为主,而ra5站位是以有毒的亚历山大藻（Alexandrium sp.）为主。综上可见,可预测当东海大规模赤潮爆发时,会使原生动物群落向中大型种类演替,进而可能影响海洋生态系统的结构和功能。     

Microscopic and Molecular Studies of the Diversity of Free-Living Protozoa in Meat-Cutting Plants

The diversity of free-living protozoa in five meat-cutting plants was determined. Light microscopy after enrichment culturing was combined with sequencing of PCR-amplified, denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE)-separated 18S rRNA gene fragments, which was used as a fast screening method. The general results of the survey showed that a protozoan community of amoebae, ciliates, and flagellates was present in all of the plants. Protozoa were detected mainly in floor drains, in standing water on the floor, on soiled bars of cutting tables, on plastic pallets, and in out-of-use hot water knife sanitizers, but they were also detected on surfaces which come into direct contact with meat, such as conveyer belts, working surfaces of cutting tables, and needles of a meat tenderizer. After 7 days of incubation at refrigerator temperature, protozoa were detected in about one-half of the enrichment cultures. Based on microscopic observations, 61 morphospecies were found, and Bodo saltans, Bodo spp., Epistylis spp., Glaucoma scintillans, Petalomonas spp., Prodiscophrya collini, and Vannella sp. were the most frequently encountered identified organisms. Sequencing of DGGE bands resulted in identification of a total of 49 phylotypes, including representatives of the Amoebozoa, Chromalveolata, Excavata, Opisthokonta, and Rhizaria. Sequences of small heterotrophic flagellates were affiliated mainly with the Alveolata (Apicomplexa), Stramenopiles (Chrysophyceae), and Rhizaria (Cercozoa). This survey showed that there is high protozoan species richness in meat-cutting plants and that the species included species related to known hosts of food-borne pathogens.