Abstract
Life cycles of several species belonging to the marine generaDissodinium Klebs in Pascher andPyrocystis Murray ex Haeckel are described. The two known species ofDissodinium, D. pseudolunula Swift ex Elbr. & Dreb., (=D. lunula auct. nonnull.) andD. pseudocalani (Gönnert) Drebes ex Elb. & Dreb. are ectoparasites of copepod eggs. In this genus, sporogenesis, with obligate sequence from primary cyst to secondary cyst to dinospores, occurs by palintomy.Dissodinium is placed into the order Blastodiniales Schiller and its position in this order is discussed. The asexual life cycle ofPyrocystis spp. represents an alternation between a dominating coccoid stage and a morphologically different transitory reproductive stage. The reproductive bodies may be either athecate aplanospores, athecate uni- or biflagellate planospores or thecate biflagellate planospores. Thecal morphology of thecate planospores resembles those ofGonyaulax Diesing. The occurrence of both, athecate aplanospores and thecate planospores in the same species, is discussed.Pyrocystis is regarded as belonging to the order Pyrocystales Apstein. The possible derivation from the Gonyaulacaceae Lindemann is suggested. In addition, the generaDissodinium andPyrocystis are redefined. A description ofD. pseudolunula as well as a list of synonyms and references for detailed descriptions ofP. lunula (Schütt) Schütt, not includingD. pseudolunula, is given.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Literature Cited
Apstein, C., 1906.Pyrocystis lunula und ihre Fortpflanzung. Wiss. Meeresunters. (Kiel)9, 263–270.
—, 1909. Die Pyrocysteen der Plankton-Expedition. Ergebn. Atlant. Ozean Planktonexped. Humboldt-Stift.4 M.c. 1–27.
Ballantine, D., 1961.Gymnodinium chukwanii n. sp. and other marine dinoflagellates collected in the vicinity of Zanzibar. J. Protozool.8, 217–228.
Blackman, V. H., 1902. Observations on the Pyrocysteae. New Phytol.1, 178–188.
Bouquaheux, F., 1972. Variations morphologiques dePyrocystis fusiformis Murray 1876 etPyrocystis elegans Pavillard 1931. Cah. Biol. mar.13, 1–8.
Cachon, J. & Cachon, M., 1968. Cytologie et cycle évolutif desChytriodinium. Protistologica4, 249–262.
—, 1973. Les Apodinidae Chatton. Révision systématique. Rapports hôte — parasite et métabolisme. Protistologica9, 17–33.
Dogiel, V., 1906. Beiträge zur Kenntnis der Peridineen. Mitt. zool. Stn Neapel18 (1), 1–45.
— 1965. General protozoology. Oxford Univ. Press, London, 747 pp.
Drebes, G., 1969.Dissodinium pseudocalani sp. nov., ein parasitischer Dinoflagellat auf Copepodeneiern. Helgoländer wiss. Meeresunters.19, 58–67.
—, 1970.Dissodinium lunula (Dinophyceae). Vegetative Vermehrung. Begleitveröff. zum Film der Enc. Cin., Göttingen,E 1634, 1–11.
—, 1972.Dissodinium pseudocalani (Dinophyceae). Vegetative Vermehrung. Begleitveröff. zum Film der Enc. Cin., Göttingen,E 1843, 1–10.
—, 1974a.Pyrocystis lunula (Dinophyceae). Ungeschlechtliche Fortpflanzung. Begleitveröff. zum Film der Enc. Cin., Göttingen, E2012, 1–9.
—, 1974b. Marines Phytoplankton. Thieme, Stuttgart, 186 pp.
Fott, B., 1971. Algenkunde. Fischer, Jena, 2nd ed. 1–581.
Gönnert, R., 1936.Sporodinium pseudocalani n. g., n. sp., ein Parasit auf Copepodeneiern. Z. Parasitkde9, 140–143.
Haeckel, E., 1890. Plankton Studien. Vergleichende Untersuchungen über die Bedeutung und Zusammensetzung der pelagischen Fauna und Flora. Fischer, Jena, 105 pp.
Klebs, G., 1912. Über Flagellaten und Algen-ähnliche Peridineen. Verh. naturh.-med. Ver. Heidelb.11, 369–451.
Kofoid, C. A. & Swezy, O., 1921. The free-living unarmored Dinoflagellata. Mem. Univ. Calif.5, 1–538.
Lebour, V. M., 1925. The dinoflagellates of northern seas. Mar. biol. Ass. U. K., Plymouth, 250 pp.
Loeblich, A. R. Jr. & Loeblich, A. R. III., 1966. Index to the genera, subgenera, and sections of the Pyrrophyta. Stud. trop. Oceanogr.3, 1–94.
Loeblich, A. R. III., 1966. Aspects of the physiology and biochemistry of the Pyrrophyta. Phykos5, 216–255.
—, 1974.Pyrocystis lunula and its relationship toSporodinium. J. Protozool.21, 435.
— Klotz, L. C., Roberts, Th. M., Tuttle, R. C. & Allen, J. R., 1974. The dinoflagellate Nucleus. J. Phycol. (Suppl.)10, 14–15.
Loeblich, L. A. & Loeblich, A. R. III., 1974. The dinoflagellate causing New England red tides: Scanning electron microscopy and physiology. J. Phycol.10 (Suppl.), 3.
McLachlan, J., 1973. Growth media — marin. In: Handbook of phycological methods. Ed. by J. R. Stein. Cambridge: Univ. Press. London, 25–51.
Meunier, V. & Swift, E. (in press). Observations on thecate swarmers ofPyrocystis species in Laboratory Cultures:Pyrocystis fusiformis Wyville Thomson ex Murray andPyrocystis pseudonoctiluca Wyville Thomson ex Murray (Dinococcales). (In press.)
Murray, J., 1876. Preliminary reports to Professor Wyville Thomson, F. R. S., director of the civilian scientific staff, on work done on board the “Challenger”. Proc. R. Soc.24, 471–544.
—, 1885.Pyrocystis noctiluca. Rep. scient. Results Voyage HMS Challenger1 (2), 935–938.
Pascher, A., 1916. Über eine neue Amöbe —Dinamoeba (varians) — mit dinoflagellatenartigen Schwärmern. Arch. Protistenk.36, 118–136.
Pfiester, L. A., 1975. Sexual reproduction ofPeridinium cinctum f.ovoplanum (Dinophyceae). J. Phycol.11, 259–265.
Pouchet, G., 1885. Nouvelle contribution á l'histoire des Péridiniens marins. J. Anat. Physiol., Paris21, 28–88.
Schiller, J., 1935–1937.Dinoflagellata (Peridineae). Akad. Verlags., Leipzig,2, 1–590 (Rabenhorst Kryptogamen-Flora von Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz, Bd. 10, Abt. 3).
Schütt, F., 1895. Die Peridineen der Planktonexpedition. I. Teil. Studien über die Zellen der Peridineen. Ergebn. Atlant. Ozean Planktonexped. Humboldt-Stift.4, M.a., 1–170.
—, 1896. Peridiniales. In: Die natürlichen Pflanzenfamilien. Hrsg. von A. Engler & K. Prantl. Engelmann, Leipzig (1. Abt.)1 B, 1–30.
Sournia, A., 1967. Contribution a la connaissance des Péridiniens microplanctoniques du canal de Mozambique. Bull. Mus. natn. Hist. nat., Paris (Sér. 2)39, 417–438.
—, 1973. Catalogue des espéces et taxons infraspécifiques de dinoflagellés marins actuels publiés depuis la revisions de J. Schiller. I. Dinoflagellés libres. Nova Hedwigia (Beih.)48, 1–92.
—, Cachon, J. & Cachon, M., 1975. Catalogue des espéces et taxons infraspécifiques de Dinoflagellés marins actuels pupliés depuis la révision de J. Schiller. II. Dinoflagellés parasites ou symbiotiques. Arch. Protistenk.117, 1–19.
Stafleu, F. A. (Ed.), 1972. International code of botanical nomenclature. (Adopted by The 11th International Botanical Congress Seattle, August 1969). Int. Bureau Plant Taxonomy and Nomencl., Utrecht, 426 pp.
Stosch, H. A. von, 1964. Zum Problem der sexuellen Fortpflanzung in der PeridineengattungCeratium. Helgoländer wiss. Meeresunters.10, 140–152.
—, 1967. Dinophyta Chrysophyta. Handb. PflPhysiol.18, 626–681.
—, 1973. Observations on vegetative reproduction and sexual life cycles of two freshwater dinoflagellates,Gymnodinium pseudopalustre Schiller andWoloszynskia apiculata sp. nov. Br. phycol. J.8, 105–134.
Swift, E., 1973.Dissodinium pseudolunula n. sp. Phycologia12, 90–91.
—, Biggley, W. H. & Seliger, H. H., 1973. Species of oceanic dinoflagellates in the generaDissodinium andPyrocystis: interclonal and interspecific comparisons of the color and photon yield of bioluminescence. J. Phycol.9, 420–426.
— Durbin, E. G., 1971. Similarities in the asexual reproduction of the oceanic dinoflagellatesPyrocystis fusiformis, Pyrocystis lunula, andPyrocystis noctiluca. J. Phycol.7, 89–96.
—, Meunier, V., 1976. Effects of light intensity on division rate, stimulable bioluminescence and cell size of the oceanic dinoflagellatesDissodinium lunula, Pyrocystis fusiformis andP. noctiluca. J. Phycol.12, 14–22.
—, Wall, D., 1972. The asexual life-cycle and taxonomic affinities of the oceanic dinoflagellatePyrocystis acuta. Phycologia11, 57–65.
Taylor, F. J. R., 1972. Unpublished observations on the thecate stage of the dinoflagellate genusPyrocystis by the late C. A. Kofoid and Josephine Michener. Phycologia11, 47–55.
—, 1976. Dinoflagellates from the International Indian Ocean Expedition. Biblthca bot.132, 1–234.
Wright, R. R., 1907. The plankton of eastern Nova Scotia waters; an account of certain floating organisms upon which young food-fishes mainly subsist. Rep. Dep. Mar. Fish. Can.39, 1–19.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Elbrächter, M., Drebes, G. Life cycles, phylogeny and taxonomy ofDissodinium andPyrocystis (Dinophyta). Helgolander Wiss. Meeresunters 31, 347–366 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02189487
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02189487