Dinophysis

Dinophysis
Formalin fixed sample of Dinophysis acuminata from the North Sea
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Clade: Diaphoretickes
Clade: SAR
Clade: Alveolata
Phylum: Myzozoa
Superclass: Dinoflagellata
Class: Dinophyceae
Order: Dinophysiales
Family: Dinophysaceae
Genus: Dinophysis
Ehrenberg

Dinophysis is a genus of dinoflagellates[1][2][3] common in tropical, temperate, coastal and oceanic waters.[4] It was first described in 1839 by Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg.[5]

Dinophysis are typically medium-sized cells (30-120 μm).[5] The structural plan and plate tabulation are conserved within the genus.[4] Dinophysis thecae are divided into halves by a sagittal fission suture.[4] There are five types of thecae ornamentation in this genus,[4] and those are a useful character for species identification.[4] Dinophysis mainly divide by binary fission.[4]

Dinophysis chloroplasts are usually rod-shaped or granular and yellow or brown colored.[4] Some Dinophysis spp. take up kleptoplastids when feeding. Toxic Dinophysis produce okadaic acid, dinophysistoxins, and pectenotoxins, which inhibit protein phosphatase and cause diarrhea.[6]

  1. ^ AlgaeBase: Dinophysis Ehrenberg, 1839
  2. ^ NCBI: Dinophysis Ehrenberg, 1839 (genus); graphically: Dinophysis, Lifemap NCBI Version.
  3. ^ WoRMS: Dinophysis Ehrenberg, 1839
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Hallegraeff, G.M., Lucas, I.A.N. 1988: The marine dinoflagellate genus Dinophysis (Dinophyceae): photosynthetic, neritic and non-photosynthetic, oceanic species. Phycologia, 27: 25–42. 10.2216/i0031-8884-27-1-25.1
  5. ^ a b Ehrenberg, C.G., 1839. Über jetzt wirklich noch zahlreich lebende Thier-Arten der Kreideformatien der Erde. Königlich Preussische Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin, Bericht über die zur Bekanntmachung geeigneten Verhandlungen, 1839, p. 152-159. Über noch zahlreich jetzt lebende Thierarten der Kreidebildung, nach Vorträgen in der Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin in den Jahren 1839 und 1840, L. Voss, Leipzig. PDF, p. 44ff
  6. ^ Reguera, B. et al. 2012. Harmful Dinophysis species: A review. Harmful Algae, 14: 87–106. 10.1016/j.hal.2011.10.016