Overview
The Dinophyceae are the main class of . 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. Others are more unusual, including some that are colonial, amoeboid, or parasitic.
Dinoflagellates are classified by morphology. Species with a theca are divided into four orders, based on the arrangement of the armor plates:
- Peridiniales - e.g. Peridinium
- Gonyaulacales - e.g. Ceratium, Gonyaulax
- Dinophysiales - e.g. Dinophysis
- Prorocentrales - e.g. Prorocentrum
The Peridiniales are probably paraphyletic to the others, and on rRNA trees they are mixed with the species that lack thecae. The other three orders are probably monophyletic, with the Dinophysiales and Prorocentrales as close relatives, united by the presence of a sagittal suture dividing the theca in two. However, on rRNA trees the Prorocentrales are split up.
The groups of dinoflagellates without theca are understood to be artificial, and are mostly polyphyletic. Many of the genera, such as Gymnodinium and Amphidinium, are also polyphyletic. However some may approximate monophyletic groups, such as the Suessiales, and some have not been studied phylogenetically.
- Gymnodiniales - e.g. Gymnodinium, Amphidinium
- Ptychodiscales
- Suessiales - e.g. Symbiodinium
- Desmocapsales
- Phytodiniales - e.g. Dinamoeba, Pfiesteria (includes Dinococcales, Dinotrichales)
- Thoracosphaerales
There is also a group of parasitic dinoflagellates, the Blastodiniales, that do not have dinokarya during their trophic stage. Because of this, they have been treated as a separate class Blastodiniphyceae, but some or all may actually have developed within the Dinophyceae.
Photos
Taxonomy
The Class Dinophyceae is further organized into finer groupings including:
- Subclass (4): Dinophysiphycidae · Gymnodiniphycidae · Peridiniphycidae · Prorocentrophycidae
- Order (16): Chytriodiniales · Desmocapsales · Desmomastigales · Dinamoebales · Dinocloniales · Dinophysiales · Gonyaulacales · Gymnodiniales · Peridinales · Peridiniales · Phytodiniales · Prorocentrales · Ptychodiscales · Suessiales · Thoracosphaerales · Zooxanthellales
- Species: ZipcodeZoo has pages for 2,153 species and subspecies in the Class Dinophyceae.
Orders
Chytriodiniales
Desmocapsales
Desmomastigales
Dinamoebales
Dinocloniales
Dinophysiales
Gonyaulacales
Gymnodiniales
Peridinales
Peridiniales
Peridiniales is an order of , which is a class of of the kingdom Protista. The phylum that this class comes from is Pyrrophyta or more commonly called, Dinoflagellates. Below is the list of the families in Peridinales. [more]
Phytodiniales
Prorocentrales
The Prorocentrales are a small order of . They are distinguished by having their two flagella inserted apically, rather than ventrally as in other groups. One flagellum extends forward and the other circles its base, and there are no flagellar grooves. This arrangement is called desmokont, in contrast to the dinokont arrangement found in other groups. Accordingly, the Prorocentrales may be called desmoflagellates, and in some classifications were treated as a separate class Desmophyceae. [more]
Ptychodiscales
Suessiales
Thoracosphaerales
Zooxanthellales
More info about the Order Zooxanthellales may be found here.
References
- JF Saldarriaga et al. (2001). "Dinoflagellate Nuclear SSU rRNA Phylogeny Suggests Multiple Plastid Losses and Replacements". Journal of Molecular Evolution 53: 204–213. doi:
- F. J. R. "Max" Taylor (2004). "Illumination or confusion? Dinoflagellate molecular phylogenetic data viewed from a primarily morphological standpoint". Phycological Research 52: 308–324. doi:
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