Organism Terminology

Photo-

Light energy source

Chemo-

Chemical energy source

Auto-

CO2 carbon source

Hetero-

Organic C carbon source

Litho-

Inorganic chemical energy source

Organo-

Organic chemical energy source

Emergent

Emerging from water

Endosymbiotic

Living within an organism

Epilithic

On rocks

Epipelic

On mud

Epiphytic

On plants

Episammic

On sand

Hyporheic

In groundwater influenced by surface water

Neustonic

On surface of water

Periphytic

Benthic, in a complex mix including algae

Benthic

Bottom

Lentic

Still water

Lotic

Flowing water

Littoral

Lake shore, shallow benthic

Pelagic

Open water

Profundal

Deep in lake

Facultative (bacteria)

Can live in low or high DO

Akinetes

Resting spores

Heterocysts

Sites of nitrogen fixation

Phycobilins

Light-harvesting pigments

Shelford’s Law of Tolerance

Populations have optimal survival conditions within a critical min and max threshold

Cingulum

Group of girdle bands between valves

Epitheca

Epivalve and associated bands

Hypotheca

Hypovalve and associated bands

Puncta

Hole in valve face to allow material to pass in and out of cell

Striae

Linear rows of puncta

Raphe

Slit along valve face, slime excretion to glide over substrata

Araphic

No raphe on either valve

Monoraphic

1 valve has a raphe

Biraphic

Both valves have a raphe

Centric morphology

Radial symmetry

Pennate

Bilateral symmetry

Competition Exclusion Principle

No 2 species can occupy the same ecological niche indefinitely

Cyclomorphosis

Change in morphology to prevent predation

Kairomones

Chemicals made by predators after eating zooplankton

Cyclical parthenogenesis

Combo of sexual and asexual reproduction

Univoltine

1 gen per year

Bivoltine

2 gen per year

Multivoltine

More than 1 gen per year

Filter feeder

Filter suspended materials from water

Collector/gatherer

Browse sediment for food

Scrapers

Remove periphyton from rocks and other substrates

Shredders

Break and eat large detritus

Resource partitioning

Variety allows more species to live in similar areas

Cyclomorphosis

Generate changes in morphology to make getting eaten more difficult

Diel vertical migration

Zooplankton migrate down during dat, up at night (only if predators present)

Diel horizontal migration

Migrate to littoral zone as refuge from predators during the day