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This phenomenon is called a red tide, from the color the bloom imparts to the water. Some colorless dinoflagellates may also form toxic blooms, such as Pfiesteria . Some dinoflagellate blooms are not dangerous.
Vaadhoo island is famous for the 'sea of stars.' This marine bioluminescence is generated by phytoplankton known as dinoflagellates.Woodland Hastings of Harvard University has for the first time identified a special channel in the dinoflagellate cell membrane that responds to electrical signals—offering a potential mechanism for how the algae create their unique illumination.
Noctiluca scintillans is a marine species of dinoflagellate that can exist in a green or red form, depending on the pigmentation in its vacuoles.It can be found worldwide, but its geographical distribution varies depending on whether it is green or red.
Torodinium is a planktonic marine genus of dinoflagellate, occupying mainly warmer water regions due to its lack of protective thecal plates. [9] The genus is free-living, meaning it does not go through a parasitic phase and instead obtains energy independently. [2]
Pyrocystis fusiformis is a non-motile, tropical, epipelagic, marine dinoflagellate (flagellate microorganisms), reaching lengths of up to 1 millimetre (0.039 in). P. fusiformis display bioluminescence when disturbed or agitated. In coastal marine waters, this dinoflagellate causes glowing effects after dark.
The phenomenon is widely distributed among animal groups, especially in marine environments. On land it occurs in fungi, bacteria and some groups of invertebrates , including insects . The uses of bioluminescence by animals include counterillumination camouflage, mimicry of other animals, for example to lure prey, and signaling to other ...
Ceratium species belong to the group of dinoflagellates known as dinophysiales, meaning they contain armored plates. [2] They contain a pellicle, which is a shell, that is made from the cell membrane and vesicles; vesicles are composed of cross-linked cellulose , forming the plates. [ 2 ]
The most common species is Noctiluca scintillans, also called N. miliaris.Blooms of this species are red-orange and can be bioluminescent when disturbed, [4] as are various other dinoflagellates, and large blooms can sometimes be seen as flickering lights on the ocean, known as the milky seas effect.