Noctilucales
| Noctilucales | |
|---|---|
| File:Noctiluca scintillans unica.jpg | |
| Scientific classification | |
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| (unranked): | |
| Superphylum: | |
| Phylum: | |
| Class: |
Noctiluciphyceae
Fensome et al., 1993
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| Order: |
Noctilucales
Haeckel, 1894
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Lua error in Module:Taxonbar/candidate at line 22: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).The Noctilucales are a peculiar order of marine dinoflagellates.
Characteristics
They differ from most others in that the mature cell is diploid and its nucleus does not show a dinokaryotic organization; also they show gametic meiosis. These cells are very large, from 1 to 2 millimetres in diameter, and are filled with large buoyant vacuoles. Some may contain symbiotic green algae, but there are no chloroplasts. Instead, they feed on other plankton, and there is usually a special tentacle involved in ingestion.
Noctilucales reproduce mainly by fission, but sexual reproduction also occurs. Each cell produces numerous gametes, which resemble more typical athecate dinoflagellates and have the dinokaryotic nuclei. Evidence suggests that they diverged from most other dinoflagellates early on, and they are generally placed in their own class.
Examples
The most common species is Noctiluca scintillans, also called N. miliaris. It can be bioluminescent when disturbed,[1] as are various other dinoflagellates, and large blooms can sometimes be seen as flickering lights on the ocean, known as the milky seas effect.
Another example is Spatulodinium pseudonoctiluca.[2]
References
Further reading
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External links
- Noctiluca scintillans — Guide to the Marine Zooplankton of south eastern Australia, Tasmanian Aquaculture & Fisheries Institute
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