The dinoflagellates (Gk. δῖνος dinos [whirling] and Lt. flagellum [whip or scourge]) are a large group of flagellate protists. Most are marine plankton, but they are common in fresh water habitats as well. Their populations are distributed depending on temperature, salinity, or depth. About half of all dinoflagellates are photosynthetic, and these make up the largest group of eukaryotic algae aside from the diatoms. Being primary producers makes them an important part of the aquatic food chain. Some species, called zooxanthellae, are endosymbionts of marine animals and protozoa, and play an important part in the biology of coral reefs. Other dinoflagellates are colorless predators on other protozoa, and a few forms are parasitic (see for example Oodinium, Pfiesteria).
It is sometimes equated with the order Dinoflagellata.[1] It is also sometimes equated with the class Dinophyceae.[2]
An algal bloom of dinoflagellates can result in a visible coloration of the water colloquially known as red tide.
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