Dinoflagellates: Single-celled to colonial protistans characterized by two flagella, one girdling the cell and the other trailing the cell. Some dinoflagellates exist in coral, in a symbiotic relationship. These dinoflagellates are termed the zooxanthellae. Other dinoflagellates occur in such high numbers that the water is colored red, a phenomenon known as a red tide.

 

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Dinoflagellates: Single-celled to colonial protistans characterized by two flagella, one girdling the cell and the other trailing the cell. Some dinoflagellates exist in coral, in a symbiotic relationship. T . . . View Full Definition

Zooxanthellae: A group of dinoflagellates living endosymbiotically in association with one of a variety of invertebrate groups (e.g., corals)

Red Tide: A dense outburst of phytoplankton (usually dinoflagellates) often coloring water red brown

Red Tides: Phenomenon associated with population explosions (blooms) of certain types of dinoflagellates; red structures inside the dinoflagellates cause the water to have a reddish color.