Home / Dinoflagellates /Photosynthetic / Pyrophacus

 

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Name derivation:

"Fire lens" or "Fire seed" -- Fire Pyro- lens –phacus

Classification:

Pyrophacus  Stein  1883;  4 of 5 species descriptions are currently described taxonomically (Guiry and Guiry 2013)

Order Gonyaulacales;  Family Pyrophacaceae

Morphology:

Photosynthetic biflagellate unicells, lenticular in shape, from 20 – 1190 µm with cellulosic plates in cell wall.  More extensive description is online (Guiry and Guiry 2013).

Similar genera:

 

Habitat:

Marine plankton.

References:

Guiry, M.D. & Guiry, G.M. 2013.  AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway.  http://www.algaebase.org; searched on 8 November 2013.

Stein, F.  1883.  Die naturgeschichte der arthrodelen Flagellaten.  In:  Der Organismus der Infusionstiere. III. Pt. 2. ( Eds), pp. 1-30. Leipzig.