Bopphanierri Long & Rachel Cantrell, (:

Description / Morphology

Dinobryon are single-celled, microscopic organisms that are often called gloden algae, due to it's appearance. Cells are housed in individual loricae, which are vase- or funnel-shaped. Cells have two unequal flagella and one or two chloroplasts. The color of the dinobryon depend on the compound of manganese and iron that are present. These elements can cause the algae to be colorless or dank and opaque. Species are determined by lorica and colony morphology. Blooms of Dinobryon can have an unpleasant fishy odor.

Distribution / Ecology

Dinobryon are very common in freshwater lakes, and some species can be found in estuarine or coastal marine waters. Dinobryon bavaricum are located in the North Western Atlantic Ocean, including the Gulf of Maine.

Dinobryon are photosynthetic organisms, therefore the algae convert sunlight and carbon dioxide into organic compounds, including sugars. However, they can become heterotrohic and feed on bacteria and diatoms when light levels become low. 

Growth / Reproduction

Dinobryon can reproduce sexually, by isogamy, and asexually, by aplanospores and statospores. When reproducing sexually there is a union of gametes that are identical in size and structure, whereas when dinobryons reproduce asexually they produce a spore that has a cell wall separate from the parent or by a resting spore that is formed internally.

Evolution

There are fossils of dinobryon that date back to the Cretaceous period, but were most diverse in the Miocene epoch. Many people believe that dinobryon developed a symbiotic relationship with cyanobacteria, allowing it to use photosynthesis.

Taxonomy

Dinobryon bavaricum

Domain: Eukaryota

Kingdom: Chromista

Subkingdom: Chromobiota

Infrakingdom: Heterokonta

Phylum: Ochrophyta

Subphylum: Phaeista

Infraphylum: Chrysista

Superclass: Limnistia

Class: Chrysophyceae

Order: Chromulinales

Family: Dinobryaceae

Genus: Dinobryon

Specific descriptor: bavaricum

Human Use / Role in Culture

Golden algae releases unique toxins that affect gill-breathing aquatic organisms (mainly fish and clams). The algae rapidly grows out-competing other algae for nutrients and thriving in a wide variety of environmental conditions. In a bloom situation (a bloom is an explosive increase in the population of one or several species of algae), enough toxins are released into the water to kill fish and other gill breathers that come in contact with it. The toxins cause fish gills to bleed internally, and lose their ability to exchange water and absorb oxygen. Fish then die of asphyxiation (lack of oxygen). Golden algae toxins have no apparent lethal or harmful effects on animals that do not breathe through gills. The impacts to fish populations vary and are most often temporary. Algae blooms may last for days or weeks. Blooms may occur a couple times a year, or not at all in some years. The environmental conditions that support golden alga are broad, and little is known about the specific and complex conditions that allow it to gain a competitive edge over other species, or about what causes a "bloom" that results in fish kills.

WORK CITED: 

 http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=1515

http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=157242 - Distribution/Ecology/Reproduction

http://books.google.com/books?id=t4ZQRWvr510C&pg=PA295&lpg=PA295&dq=evolution+of+dinobryon&source=bl&ots=rDj6p7NAYK&sig=LlT_q4CqtFy7Reg5xYfj

TuCXWPA&hl=en&sa=X&ei=58FqT5eULYiHgwfOyOGOBg&ved=0CC4Q6AEwAjgU#v=onepage&q=evolution%20of%20dinobryon&f=false -Description

http://www.ehow.com/info_8336501_types-golden-algae.html - Description/Evolution/Ecology

http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/algae-control/green.php -Human Usage

http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag//wimsmall/flagdr.html -Description Image

http://cyclot.sakura.ne.jp/gazoudata/chryso/anthophysa/anthophysa.html -Description Image

http://micropolitan.org/photomicro/images/dinobryon.jpg -Evolution Image

http://web.deu.edu.tr/atiksu/ana52/filpro01th.jpg -Evolution Image