SUMMARYThe populations ofAsterionella formosaHass. in two subalpine lakes in the Rawah Wild Area, Colorado, were composed of colonies of five distinct size classes based on frustule length. The spring bloom in these two lakes was dominated by cells of the Beta or Gamma population, whereas the fall pulse was dominated by cells of the Alpha and Beta, or Alpha populations. The Beta population was physiologically unique in that it was parasitized by the chytridRhizophidium planktonicumCanter. The development of the parasite population could not be correlated with the concentration or the growth phase of the host population. The occurrrence of parasitism did not noticeiceably affect the population growth patterns of the Asterionella populations.