Ceratiaceae

Ceratium (serr-at-ee-um) longipes, a representative of a large and distinctive genus of marine autotrophic dinoflagellates - made distinctive by having one anterior projection and two or as in this case three, posterior horns. Phase contrast microscopy.

Ceratium (serr-ate-ee-um), dinoflagellate, the chloroplasts of which are evident because they emit red light when illuminated with intense UV light. The UV light is filtered out so that only the red fluorescence is visible. This is a dinoflagellate. Fluorescence microscopy image by Dave Caron.

Ceratium cornutum.

The epicone of this species showing the typically curved anterior horn, with its open end. The hypocone is seen extending into two asymmetric posterior horns, whose ends are pointed and closed. The circumferential flagellum (cannot be seen in the picture) lies in the well visible cingulum, a circular , equatorial groove. The longitudinal flagellum, passing through the sulcus, is seen between the posterior horns. Some of the borders between the plates of the specimen are recognizable. The complete tabulation of the species (not visible in picture) is said to consist of 16 plates, 9 on the epicone, 7 on the hypocone. The cellulose-containing plates are perforated by numerous pores, some of which discernible in the image. 

Bright field portrait of the dinoflagellate Ceratium furca (Ehrenberg) Claparéde and Lachmann 1858, trailing flagellum can be seenb. From a freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho.

C. furca is a species with strongly developed apical horns, the left antapical horn is twice as long as the right one. The epithecal plates arereticulated to form ridges This species forms blooms in summer/ autumn in the North and Irish Sea.

A distinctive species with a long apical horn and a long left antapical horn. The left anatapical horn is very short. This species is found in oceanic coastal and estuarine sites. It is known to form blooms in autumn in the North and Irish Sea.

Portrait of the dinoflagellate, Ceratium hirundinella (O.F. Müller) Schrank, 1882. The body is drawn out into a long anterior horn and three subequal posterior horns at angles to one another. The transverse girdle or cingulum bears a flagellum (not seen in this image), which differs structurally from the trailing flagellum (seen here between the right and central posterior horns). Complex faceted cellulose plates cover the body. Small discoid plastids contain chlorophyll a and c along with other pigments, which may give a yellow-brown or brownish-red color. Composite image. Collected from freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho September 2003. DIC optics.

Ceratium hirundinella is one of the larger dinoflagellates (length ~ 400 μm) occurring in Lake Kinneret. It is easily identified by its typical 3 or 4 horns of varying length and overall shape reminiscent of the Eiffel tower. It is abundant in spring, when it accompanies the more abundant dinoflagellate Peridinium gatunense at its bloom decline phase. At this time of year other, smaller dinoflagellates are also present in the water column (Peridiniopsis elpatiewsky, Ps. cunningtonii, Ps. borgei, Ps. polonicum). While usually less abundant than the other dinoflagellates, it produces a large number of cysts (resting spores) that sink to the sediments. An exceptional bloom of Ceratium occurred in spring 1993 when cell densities in the upper 0-2 m layer reached 150/mL.

Cysts of Ceratium are found in the water column during the exponential growth phase and sink to the sediments. Their shape is typical, with 3 horns and at least one red spot. The specimen was sampled from shallow water near the Kinneret Limnological Laboratory in April 2006.

Ceratium hirundinella is one of the larger dinoflagellates (length ~ 400 μm) occurring in Lake Kinneret. It is easily identified by its typical 3 or 4 horns of varying length and overall shape reminiscent of the Eifel tower. It is abundant in spring, when it accompanies the more abundant dinoflagellate Peridinium gatunense at its bloom decline phase. At this time of year other, smaller dinoflagellates are also present in the water column (Peridiniopsis elpatiewsky, Ps. cunningtonii, Ps. borgei, Ps. polonicum). While usually less abundant than the other dinoflagellates, it produces a large number of cysts (resting spores) that sink to the sediments. An exceptional bloom of Ceratium occurred in spring 1993 when cell densities in the upper 0-2 m layer reached 150/mL.

Cysts of Ceratium hirundinella are found in the water column during the exponential growth phase and sink to the sediments. Their shape is typical, with 3 horns and at least one red spot. The specimen was sampled from shallow water near the Kinneret Limnological Laboratory in April 2006.

Dividing cell of Ceratium hirundinella (Dinoflagellata), and a second cell with a abnormal horn, pointed in the "wrong" direction

Ceratium (serr-at-ee-um) longipes, a representative of a large and distinctive genus of marine autotrophic dinoflagellates - made distinctive by having one anterior and two or as in this case three, posterior horns. Phase contrast microscopy. data on this strain.

Ceratium (serr-at-ee-um) longipes, a representative of a large and distinctive genus of marine autotrophic dinoflagellates - made distinctive by having one anterior and two or as in this case three, posterior horns. This may be a cell in early division. The posterior trailing flagellum is also visible. Dark ground illumination. data on this strain.

This species is closely related to Ceratium horridum. A distinguishing feature is the the apical horn which is bent to the right in C. longipes. It is a cold water species

Ceratium macroceros.

Ceratium bipes (serrate-ee-um try-poss), a common dinoflagellate encountered in marine waters, with both cones of the cell drawn into long horns, the circumferential flagellum lying in a groove in the expanded central region. With plastids. Dark ground illumination.

Ceratium bipes (serrate-ee-umtry-poss), a common dinoflagellate encountered in marine waters, with both cones of the cell drawn into long horns. Differential interference contrast

Ceratium tripos.