Dinoflagellates are a tiny protist that live in a number of different ecosystems, including ponds, lakes, oceans, and so on. These wacky little creatures seem insignificant, some people not even knowing what they are. But they are responsible for a number of different well-known phenomena in the ocean such as red tides, bioluminescent beaches, and they even form the symbiotic relationship with coral that gives them their color. Little do people know though, just how much more there is to dinoflagellates that make them so special.

Two Flagella

To start off, the name dinoflagellate is broken up into “dinos” which means whirly, and “flagellum” which means a whip, and also refers to the long flagella that allows them to move about. They are named this way because of the unusual pattern in which they move. Spinning and whipping around rather than in a linear fashion. Dinoflagellates have a unique body structure which involves two different flagella. The main flagella occur on the bottom, known as the longitudinal flagella. This propels the organism forward. The other flagella are located in a grove at the equator of the organism, and this one helps them in forward movement as well as spin.  Personally, I like to also think that they are named that way because some dinoflagellates look like a brachiosaurus.

Zooxanthellae

Coral reefs, which play a very important role in ocean ecosystems, and house a diverse range of different organisms, aren’t just made up of one organism, but a symbiotic relationship between the coral, and the algae that are housed within the coral, known as zooxanthellae. Some of the main types of algae that live within the coral in these reefs are different types of dinoflagellates such as those in the Symbiodiniaceae family.

Bioluminescence

Many have heard about the otherworldly beaches in foreign countries that have strange glowing properties due to organisms in the water that contain bioluminescence. With all the multifaceted aspects of these organisms, its not hard anymore to guess the fact that Noctiluca scintillans, a species of dinoflagellate, is responsible for such an occurrence. They contain a type of pigment called luciferin which when it binds to the enzyme luciferase, causes a reaction that results in light being produced.

Odd Nuclei

If this organism wasn’t interesting enough, they also have their own name termed for their odd nucleus known as a dinokaryon. This dinokaryon stands out for many reasons including the fact that in some species, it can carry up to 100-200 picograms of DNA content per cell. For reference, the average human carries about 3 picograms. That is a lot of DNA being carries around in one cell.

Stealing Chloroplasts

Another interesting aspect of dinoflagellates is that some species are known for participating in a common phenomenon in protists known as kleptoplasty. In an act of endosymbiosis, these dinoflagellates will swallow nearby algae and take in their chloroplasts while still leaving them fully intact. This way they can temporarily use and get the benefits of chloroplasts.