Warnowia | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Clade: | Diaphoretickes |
Clade: | SAR |
Clade: | Alveolata |
Phylum: | Myzozoa |
Superclass: | Dinoflagellata |
Class: | Dinophyceae |
Order: | Gymnodiniales |
Family: | Warnowiaceae |
Genus: | Warnowia Lindemann, 1928 [1] |
Type species | |
Warnowia fusus (Schütt) Lindemann [1]
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Warnowia is a genus of athecate dinoflagellates, characterized by having a very sophisticated photoreceptor organelle called the ocelloid.[1] This genus is dispersed worldwide but is scarce and difficult to find and nearly impossible to culture. As a result, the history and taxonomy of this genus are confusing at best, and many basic characteristics like its life cycle are still unknown. Still, Warnowia has drawn scientific interest as a unicellular organism with a fascinatingly complex photoreceptor system.