The Noctilucales are an
order of marine
dinoflagellate
The dinoflagellates (Greek δῖνος ''dinos'' "whirling" and Latin ''flagellum'' "whip, scourge") are a monophyletic group of single-celled eukaryotes constituting the phylum Dinoflagellata and are usually considered algae. Dinoflagellates are ...
s. They differ from most others in that the mature cell is
diploid
Ploidy () is the number of complete sets of chromosomes in a cell, and hence the number of possible alleles for autosomal and pseudoautosomal genes. Sets of chromosomes refer to the number of maternal and paternal chromosome copies, respectively ...
and its
nucleus
Nucleus ( : nuclei) is a Latin word for the seed inside a fruit. It most often refers to:
*Atomic nucleus, the very dense central region of an atom
*Cell nucleus, a central organelle of a eukaryotic cell, containing most of the cell's DNA
Nucle ...
does not show a
dinokaryotic organization. They show
gametic meiosis.
Characteristics
These cells are very large, from 0.2 to 2 millimetres in diameter, and are filled with large buoyant
vacuole
A vacuole () is a membrane-bound organelle which is present in plant and fungal cells and some protist, animal, and bacterial cells. Vacuoles are essentially enclosed compartments which are filled with water containing inorganic and organic mo ...
s. Some may contain symbiotic
green alga
The green algae (singular: green alga) are a group consisting of the Prasinodermophyta and its unnamed sister which contains the Chlorophyta and Charophyta/Streptophyta. The land plants (Embryophytes) have emerged deep in the Charophyte alga as ...
e, but there are no
chloroplast
A chloroplast () is a type of membrane-bound organelle known as a plastid that conducts photosynthesis mostly in plant and algal cells. The photosynthetic pigment chlorophyll captures the energy from sunlight, converts it, and stores it in ...
s. Instead, they feed on other
plankton
Plankton are the diverse collection of organisms found in Hydrosphere, water (or atmosphere, air) that are unable to propel themselves against a Ocean current, current (or wind). The individual organisms constituting plankton are called plankt ...
, and there is usually a special flagellum involved in ingestion.
Noctilucales reproduce mainly by fission, but
sexual reproduction
Sexual reproduction is a type of reproduction that involves a complex life cycle in which a gamete ( haploid reproductive cells, such as a sperm or egg cell) with a single set of chromosomes combines with another gamete to produce a zygote tha ...
also occurs. Each cell produces numerous gametes, which resemble more typical athecate dinoflagellates and have the dinokaryotic nuclei. Evidence suggests that they diverged from most other dinoflagellates early on, and they are generally placed in their own class.
Taxonomy
* Class Noctiluciphyceae
Fensome et al. 1993 octilucae Haeckel 1866; Noctilucea Haeckel 1866 stat. nov.; Cystoflagellata Haeckel 1873 stat. nov. Butschli 1887ref name="Gómez12">
** Order Noctilucales
Haeckel 1894
*** Family
Noctilucaceae
The Noctilucaceae are a family of dinoflagellates. The family contains the widely distributed species ''Noctiluca scintillans
''Noctiluca scintillans'' is a marine species of dinoflagellate that can exist in a green or red form, depending on ...
Saville-Kent 1881
**** Genus ''
Noctiluca
''Noctiluca scintillans'' is a marine species of dinoflagellate that can exist in a green or red form, depending on the pigmentation in its vacuoles. It can be found worldwide, but its geographical distribution varies depending on whether it i ...
''
Kofoid 1920 'Mammaria''_
Oken_1815_(sic);_''Slabberia.html" ;"title="Mammaria.html" ;"title="'Mammaria">'Mammaria''
Oken 1815 (sic); ''Slabberia">Mammaria.html" ;"title="'Mammaria">'Mammaria''
Oken 1815 (sic); ''Slabberia''
Oken 1815 (sic)]
**** Genus ''Spatulodinium''
Cachon & Cachon-Enjumet 1968 ex Loeblich & Loeblich III 1969
*** Family Kofoidiniaceae
Taylor 1976
**** Genus ''Cymbodinium''
Cachon & Cachon-Enjumet 1967
**** Genus ''
Pomatodinium''
Cachon & Cachon-Enjumet 1966
**** Genus ''
Kofoidinium''
Pavillard 1928
*** Family
Leptodiscaceae Kofoid 1905
**** Genus ''
Abedinium''
Loeblich & Loeblich III 1966 'Leptophyllus''_
Cachon_&_Cachon-Enjumet_1964_non_Hope_1842.html" ;"title="Leptophyllus.html" ;"title="'Leptophyllus">'Leptophyllus''
Cachon & Cachon-Enjumet 1964 non Hope 1842">Leptophyllus.html" ;"title="'Leptophyllus">'Leptophyllus''
Cachon & Cachon-Enjumet 1964 non Hope 1842**** Genus ''Cachonodinium''
Loeblich III 1980 [''Leptodinium''
Cachon & Cachon-Enjumet 1969 non Klement 1960]
**** Genus ''Craspedotella''
Kofoid 1905
**** Genus ''Leptodiscus''
Hertwig 1877 'Pratjetella''_
Lohmann_1920;_''Clipeodinium.html" ;"title="Pratjetella.html" ;"title="'Pratjetella">'Pratjetella''
Lohmann 1920; ''Clipeodinium">Pratjetella.html" ;"title="'Pratjetella">'Pratjetella''
Lohmann 1920; ''Clipeodinium''
Pascher 1917]
**** Genus ''Petalodinium''
Cachon & Cachon-Enjumet 1969
**** Genus ''Scaphodinium''
Margalef 1963 [''Leptospathium''
Cachon & Cachon-Enjumet 1964]
Examples
The most common species is ''
Noctiluca scintillans
''Noctiluca scintillans'' is a marine life, marine species of dinoflagellate that can exist in a green or red form, depending on the pigmentation in its vacuoles. It can be found cosmopolitan distribution, worldwide, but its geographical species ...
'', also called ''N. miliaris''. Blooms of this species are red-orange and can be
bioluminescent
Bioluminescence is the production and emission of light by living organisms. It is a form of chemiluminescence. Bioluminescence occurs widely in marine vertebrates and invertebrates, as well as in some Fungus, fungi, microorganisms including ...
when disturbed,
[
] as are various other dinoflagellates, and large blooms can sometimes be seen as flickering lights on the ocean, known as the
milky seas effect
Milky seas, also called mareel, is a luminous phenomenon in the ocean in which large areas of seawater (up to ) appear to glow translucently (in varying shades of blue). Such occurrences glow brightly enough at night to be visible from satelli ...
.
Another example is ''
Spatulodinium pseudonoctiluca''.
[
]
References
Further reading
*
External links
Noctiluca scintillans — Guide to the Marine Zooplankton of south eastern AustraliaTasmanian Aquaculture & Fisheries Institute
*
*
{{Taxonbar, from=Q590261
Dinoflagellate orders
Dinophyceae