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ISSN 1062-3590, Biology Bulletin, 2017, Vol. 44, No. 9, pp. 1007–1018. © Pleiades Publishing, Inc., 2017.
Original Russian Text © K.I. Prokina, A.P. Mylnikov, O.V. Galanina, D.A. Philippov, 2017, published in Zoologicheskii Zhurnal, 2017, Vol. 96, No. 5, pp. 499–510.
First Reports on Heterotrophic Flagellates
in the Mires of Arkhangelsk Region, Russia
K. I. Prokina
a,
*, A. P. Mylnikov
a,
**, O. V. Galanina
b, c,
***, and D. A. Philippov
a, d,
****
a
Papanin Institute for Biology of Inland Waters, Russian Academy of Sciences, Borok, 152742 Russia
b
Komarov Botanical Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, 197376 Russia
c
St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, 199034 Russia
d
Tyumen State University, Tyumen, 630003 Russia
*e-mail: kristin892@mail.ru
**e-mail: ap.mylnikov@rambler.ru
***e-mail: ogalanina@binran.ru
****e-mail: philippov_d@mail.ru
Received April 4, 2016
Abstract⎯The species composition and morphology of heterotrophic flagellates collected from mire hol-
lows, flowing waterlogged mire sites, mire pools, streams, and watercourses were studied in Pinega district,
Arkhangelsk region, Russia. Fifty species of flagellates belonging to four macrotaxonomic clusters were
recorded. Most of the flagellates were bacterivorous; two species were predators, and two species were omniv-
orous. Each type of mires and mire waterbodies has a particular set of species (ANOVA: F = 15.5, p < 0.001).
Thirty-four species of heterotrophic flagellates were found in eutrophic mires (interhummock spaces and
streams), and 26 species inhabited oligotrophic mires (mire hollows, streams, and pools). The protist fauna
was extremely poor in mire pools (two species). Nonparametric MDS-analysis revealed four groups of com-
munities: (1) mire hollows and waterlogged mire sites; (2) interhummock spaces, mire hollows, and streams;
(3) degrading hollows-rimpi; (4) mire pools. The species richness depended on electric conductivity of the
water (τ = 0.65, p = 0.002). Descriptions, drawings and pictures showing the details of cell structures are given
for the most poorly studied species. All the species recorded are new for the fauna of Arkhangelsk region.
Keywords: heterotrophic flagellates, mires, mire waterbodies, fauna, species richness, morphology, Arkhan-
gelsk region
DOI: 10.1134/S1062359017090096
INTRODUCTION
Heterotrophic flagellates are widespread in wet-
lands of all types. Nevertheless, the composition and
distribution of these protists have been poorly studied
in mires and mire pools (Zolotarev and Zhukov, 1994;
Mazey et al., 2005; Mylnikov and Kosolapova, 2004;
Tikhonenkov, 2009; Tikhonenkov and Mazei, 2005,
2007, 2009, 2009a, Šimek et al., 1998; Tikhonenkov,
2007/8). The above studies mainly focused on the
structure and dynamics of communities of heterotro-
phic flagellates (Mazei et al., 2005; Tikhonenkov and
Mazei, 2007, 2009; Tikhonenkov, 2007/8). However,
few publications have been dedicated to the associa-
tion of flagellates to microbiotopes of particular types
or to microconditions of mire habitats (Tikhonenkov
et al., 2006; Tikhonenkov and Mazei, 2009). At the
same time, it is noted that mires are characterized by
great heterogeneity of aquatic coenoses and various
microbiotopes (Mazei et al., 2005; Tikhonenkov,
2007/8).
Geographically, studies of the heterotrophic flagel-
lates in the mires of the European part of Russia were
conducted only in Novgorod, Pskov, Penza, and Yaro-
slavl regions and in the Republic of Karelia (Mylnikov
and Kosolapova, 2004; Tikhonenkov, 2006, 2009;
Tikhonenkov and Mazei, 2005, 2007, 2009). All the
above regions have different degrees of paludification,
from <1% in Penza region to 16% in Karelia (Novikov
and Usova, 2000). In addition, flagellates were not
studied in all types of mires. A relationship between
the qualitative and quantitative composition of flagel-
lates and/or the hydrochemical parameters of water
was rarely found for particular mire micro-habitats
(hummocks, ridges, carpets, mire hollows, pools,
etc.).
We performed studies in Arkhangelsk region, Rus-
sia, which is a large area (587.4 thousand km
2
) with
a heavily waterlogged territory (the area of mires con-
stitutes 34%). Since protists of Arkhangelsk region
have not been examined before, our goal was to study
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