PYRROPHYTA

• Fire algae or Dinoflagellates
• Unicellular or colonial aquatic algae
• Produce food by photosynthesis (chlorophyl a and c, xanthophyll (red) and fucoxanthin (special yellow-brown carotenoid)
• Reproduce asexually by cell division
• Covered with cellulose plates impregnated with silica
• Food is stored as starch and oil
• Has 2 flagella
• Gonyaulax which contains neurotoxin that are harmful to the marine fauna cause the “red tide” phenomenon
• RED TIDE PHENOMENON

  (Algal/Dinoflagellates Bloom)

  • phenomenon wherein the population of dinoflagellates rise exponentially causing the waters to become orange, red, or brown.
  • phenomenon is most likely to occur in warm waters of late summer and early fall.
  • In the recent years, a rise in the occurrence of red tides is presumed to be caused by human-produced coastal pollution that may have provided nutrients to the dinoflagellates causing deaths of several marine fauna and flora.