The effect of external flow on 3D orientation of a microscopic sessile suspension feeder, Vorticella convallaria

Tia Böttger, Brett Klaassen van Oorschot*, Rachel E. Pepper*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

Vorticella convallaria are microscopic sessile suspension feeders that live attached to substrates in aquatic environments. They feed using a self-generated current and help maintain the health of aquatic ecosystems and wastewater treatment facilities by consuming bacteria and detritus. Their environmental impact is mediated by their feeding rate. In ambient flow, feeding rates are highly dependent on an individual's orientation relative to the substrate and the flow. Here, we investigate how this orientation is impacted by flow speed. Furthermore, we examined whether individuals actively avoid orientations unfavorable for feeding. We exposed individuals to unidirectional laminar flow at shear rates of 0, 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 s−1, and recorded their 3D orientation using a custom biplanar microscope. We determined that V. convallaria orientation became progressively tilted downstream as the shear rate increased, but individuals were still able to actively reorient. Additionally, at higher shear rates, individuals spent a larger fraction of their time in orientations with reduced feeding rates. Our shear rates correspond to freestream flows on the scale of mm s−1 to cm s−1 in natural environments.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)51-63
Number of pages13
JournalAnnals of the New York Academy Of Sciences
Volume1537
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jul 2024

Keywords

  • ciliate
  • epibiont
  • feeding flows
  • Stokeslet
  • suspension feeder
  • wastewater treatment

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'The effect of external flow on 3D orientation of a microscopic sessile suspension feeder, Vorticella convallaria'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this