''Pelagodinium béii'' is a photosynthetic

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 ...

that forms a symbiotic relationship with planktonic

foraminifera Foraminifera (; Latin for "hole bearers"; informally called "forams") are single-celled organisms, members of a phylum or class of amoeboid protists characterized by streaming granular ectoplasm for catching food and other uses; and commonly ...

Discovery and classification

''P. béii'' was originally described as ''Gymnodinium béii'' by marine isotope geochemist Howard Spero in 1987, after being discovered in the eastern

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the contine ...

. It was redefined as ''P. béii'' in 2010 after its

Ribosomal RNA Ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) is a type of non-coding RNA which is the primary component of ribosomes, essential to all cells. rRNA is a ribozyme which carries out protein synthesis in ribosomes. Ribosomal RNA is transcribed from ribosomal ...

was characterized, revealing it to be a relative of the genus ''

Symbiodinium : ''This is about the genus sometimes called Zoox. For the company, see Zoox (company)'' ''Symbiodinium'' is a genus of dinoflagellates that encompasses the largest and most prevalent group of endosymbiotic dinoflagellates known. These unicellul ...

''. ''Symbiodinium'' is a well-studied endosymbiont of deep water invertebrates, protists and foraminifera, found especially alongside reef-dwelling organisms.

Ecology

The ''P. béii'' contains a single straight elongated apical vesicle with a row of small knobs, eight latitudinal series of amphiesmal vesicles, and a Type E eyespot. When not living as a symbiont the species is able to enter a motile stage. Like ''Symbiodinium'', ''P. béii'' is a member of the Suessiales order, which lack thecal armored plates. ''P. béii'' is hosted by at least four foraminifera: ''G. ruber'', ''G. conglobatus'', ''G. sacculifer'' and ''Orbulina universa''.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q55629393 Dinoflagellates

Discovery and classification

Ecology

See also

References