Alexandrium





	1.	Genus: Alexandrium \| Dinoflagellate Common West Coast species: A. catenella Order: Gonyaulacales Family: Goniodomataceae Click on the illustration to enlarge Description: Armoured cells, typically spherical. Cell Size: Less than 45um Distribution: Coastal temperate to tropical waters. Interesting Facts: Several species, including Alexandrium catenella, are toxic and/or bioluminescent. They produce saxitoxins, among other toxins, which lead to paralytic shellfish poisoning. IFCB images Image 5: Alexandrium and Mesodinium, courtesy of W. Gurske. Collected at Don Edwards Wildlife Refuge, Fremont CA. Image 6: Alexandrium catenella, courtesy of W. Gurske
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This Phytoplankton Identification page is affiliated with CeNCOOS and HABMAP, and is maintained by the Kudela Lab at the University of California Santa Cruz. Details about site history, funding, and sources of information and images can be found here.