Dinoflagellate, (division Dinoflagellata), any of numerous one-celled aquatic organisms bearing two dissimilar flagella and having characteristics of both plants and animals. Most are marine, though some live in freshwater habitats. The group is an important component of phytoplankton in all but the colder seas and is an important link in the food chain. Dinoflagellates also produce some of the bioluminescence sometimes seen in the sea. Under certain conditions, several species can reproduce rapidly to form water blooms or red tides that discolour the water and may poison fish and other animals. Some dinoflagellates produce toxins that are among the most poisonous known.

Red tide off the coast of La Jolla, Calif. Red tides are caused by toxic dinoflagellate blooms. P. Alejandro Díaz

The taxonomy of the group is contentious. Historically, botanists have placed them in the algal division Pyrrophyta or Pyrrophycophyta, and zoologists have claimed them as members of the protozoan order Dinoflagellida. Although they are often considered to be algae in the division Dinoflagellata, this placement is controversial because these organisms have unique nuclei and significantly larger genomes than other eukaryotic algae.

Dinoflagellates range in size from about 5 to 2,000 micrometres (0.0002 to 0.08 inch). Most are microscopic, but some form visible colonies. Nutrition among dinoflagellates is autotrophic, heterotrophic, or mixed; some species are parasitic or commensal. About one-half of the species are photosynthetic; even among those, however, many are also predatory. Although sexual processes have been demonstrated in a few genera, reproduction is largely by binary or multiple fission. Under favourable conditions, dinoflagellate populations may reach 60 million organisms per litre of water.

A species of dinoflagellate known as Noctiluca scintillans, commonly called sea sparkle, is a type of algae that can aggregate into an algal bloom, producing substances that are potentially toxic to marine life. Douglas P. Wilson

The dinoflagellate cell is banded by a median or coiled groove, the annulus, which contains a flagellum. A longitudinal groove, the sulcus, extends from the annulus posteriorly to the point at which a second flagellum is attached. The nuclei of dinoflagellates are larger than those of other eukaryotes. So-called armoured dinoflagellates are covered with cellulose plates, which may have long spiny extensions; some species lacking armour have a thin pellicle (protective layer). Photosynthetic dinoflagellates have yellowish or brownish plastids (pigment-containing bodies) and may store food in the form of starches, starchlike compounds, or oils.

dinoflagellate The dinoflagellate Ceratium tripos (magnified). Blickwinkel/age fotostock

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For additional information on specific dinoflagellate genera, see Ceratium, Gonyaulax, Gymnodinium, Noctiluca, and Peridinium.