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Coch

cochlodinium

cochlodinium

cochlo

Genus: Margalefidinium | Dinoflagellate
formerly Cochlodinium

HAB

Common West Coast species: M. fulvescens

Order: Gymnodiniales

Family: Gymnodiniaceae

Description: Unarmoured cells with cingulum rotating more than 1.5x. Single cells or chain-forming, with or without chloroplasts. Encystment common.

Cell Size: Width = 20-40um, Length = 60-80um

Distribution: Cosmopolitan in warm and temperate waters.

Interesting Facts: A toxin producer. Recently, and for the first time, dense blooms of M. fulvescens have been reported in Monterey Bay. High-density blooms can color the water brown or red.

IFCB images
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.