Bibliographic Detail
Reñé, A., Salas, M. de, Camp, J., Balagué, V. & Garcés, E., 2013
Reference:
Reñé, A., Salas, M. de, Camp, J., Balagué, V. & Garcés, E. (2013). A new clade, based on partial LSU rDNA sequences, of unarmoured
Dinoflagellates. Protist 164: 673-685.
Abstract:
The order Gymnodiniales comprises unarmoured dinoflagellates. However, the lack of sequences hindered
determining the phylogenetic positions and systematic relationships of several gymnodinioid
taxa. In this study, a monophyletic clade was defined for the species Ceratoperidinium margalefii Loeblich
III, Gyrodinium falcatum Kofoid & Swezy, three Cochlodinium species, and two Gymnodinium-like
dinoflagellates. Despite their substantial morphotypic differentiation, Cochlodinium cf. helix, G. falcatum
and Gymnodinium sp. 1 share a common shape of the acrobase. The phylogenetic data led to
the following conclusions: (1) C. margalefii is closely related to several unarmoured dinoflagellates.
Its sulcus shape has been observed for the first time. (2) G. falcatum was erroneously assigned to the
genus Gyrodinium and is transferred to Ceratoperidinium (C. falcatum (Kofoid & Swezy) René & de
Salas comb. nov.). (3) The genus Cochlodinium is polyphyletic and thus artificial; our data support its
separation into three different genera. (4) The two Gymnodinium-like species could not be morphologically
or phylogenetically related to any other gymnodinioid species sequenced to date. While not all
studied species have been definitively transferred to the correct genus, our study is a step forward in
the classification of inconspicuous unarmoured dinoflagellates. The family Ceratoperidiniaeceae and
the genus Ceratoperidinium are emended.
