<i>Minutocellus polymorphus</i>: A new marine diatom for use in algal toxicity tests

Abstract

Abstract The marine diatom Minutocellus polymorphus is suited for use as a test species in algal toxicity tests. Its responses to 19 toxicants in a modification of Aquil, a chemically defined phytoplankton culture medium, compared favorably with those of Skeletonema costatum, a common test species. M. polymorphus grows rapidly, allowing a test duration of 48 h and thus minimizing complications due to toxicant degradation, volatilization and adsorption to test vessel walls. These and other characteristics indicate that M. polymorphus is an ideal standard organism for algal toxicity tests.