Free-living Amoebae in Carbonate Precipitating Microhabitats of Karst Caves and a New Vahlkampfiid Amoeba, Allovahlkampfia spelaea gen. nov., sp. nov.

• Authors: Julia Walochnik , Janez MULEC
• Languages of publication: PL

Abstracts

PL

This is the first report on the diversity of small free-living amoebae (FLA) in carbonate precipitating habitats in karst caves. Of 11 samples from nine different habitats in four Slovenian karst caves ten samples were positive for FLA, four strains were successfully isolated and transferred to clonal monoxenic cultures, including Acanthamoeba castellanii genotype T4, Echinamoeba silvestris, Hartmannella vermiformis, and a new vahlkampfiid amoeba Allovahlkampfia spelaea gen. nov., sp. nov. The latter was isolated from a stromatolitic stalagmite, a typical biogenic speleothem. Echinamoeba silvestris was identified from an aerophytic algal community and Acanthamoeba and Hartmannella were isolated from a cave pool with floating calcite rafts. The grazing of FLA on bacteria may help in creating conditions that enhance carbonate precipitation.

Keywords

PL

Cave, amoebae, Allovahlkampfia spelaea gen. nov., sp. nov.

• Publisher: Uniwersytet Jagielloński
• Journal: Acta Protozoologica
• Year: 2009
• Volume: 48
• Issue: 1

Dates

published

2009

online

25 - 09 - 2015

Contributors

author

Julia Walochnik

author

Janez MULEC