Grazing on Algae and Growth of the Freshwater Heterotrich Ciliate Stentor roeselii.

Stentor roeselii was isolated from Pal'dang Reservoir and maintained in the laboratory. Its optimal temperature for growth was 25-30°C and its optimal pH was 7-9. Stentor roeselii primarily ingested small (2-5 μm) food items. When six algal species were presented in controlled feeding experiments, the ciliate had its highest growth rate with cyanobacterium Aphanothece sp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]