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Dinoflagellates are mostly marine plankton, but they are also common in freshwater habitats. Their populations vary with sea surface temperature, salinity, and depth. Many dinoflagellates are photosynthetic, but a large fraction of these are in fact mixotrophic, combining photosynthesis with ingestion of prey (phagotrophy and myzocytosis). [6] [7]
All dinoflagellates and nanoflagellates (choanoflagellates, silicoflagellates, most green algae) [12] [13] (Other protists go through a phase as gametes when they have temporary flagellum – some radiolarians , foraminiferans and Apicomplexa )
Ceratium dinoflagellates have a unique adaptation that allows them to store compounds in a vacuole that they can use for growth when nutrients become unavailable. [11] They are also known to move actively in the water column to receive maximum sunlight and nutrients for growth. [10]
Marine algae can be divided into six groups: green, red and brown algae, euglenophytes, dinoflagellates and diatoms. Dinoflagellates and diatoms are important components of marine algae and have their own sections below. Euglenophytes are a phylum of unicellular flagellates with only a few marine members. Not all algae are microscopic.
Peridinium is a genus of motile, marine and freshwater dinoflagellates. [1] [2] Their morphology is considered typical of the armoured dinoflagellates, and their form is commonly used in diagrams of a dinoflagellate's structure. [1] [3] Peridinium can range from 30 to 70 μm in diameter, and has very thick thecal plates. [1] [3]
Dinokaryota is a main grouping of dinoflagellates. They include all species where the nucleus remains a dinokaryon throughout the entire cell cycle, which is typically dominated by the haploid stage. All the "typical" dinoflagellates, such as Peridinium and Gymnodinium, belong here.
Symbiodinium is a genus of dinoflagellates that encompasses the largest and most prevalent group of endosymbiotic dinoflagellates known and have photosymbiotic relationships with many species. These unicellular microalgae commonly reside in the endoderm of tropical cnidarians such as corals , sea anemones , and jellyfish , where the products of ...
Some dinoflagellates that live as parasites are probably mixotrophic. [7] Karenia, Karlodinium, and Lepidodinium are some of the dinoflagellate genera which are thought to contain peridinin, a carotenoid pigment necessary for photosynthesis in dinoflagellates; [8] however, chlorophyll b has been found in these genera as an accessory pigment. [8]