In culture, Gyrodiniella shiwhaense has been observed to move in straight lines or a helical pattern, stop suddenly and then resume movement quickly, almost like a jump (Kang et al. 2011).
Gyrodiniellum shiwhaense is a heterotrophic dinoflagellate found in marine, pelagic environments.
From Kang et al. 2011:
The eposome is conical and slightly larger than the ellipsoid hyposome. The cell has a wide and distinctive descending cingulum, which is displaced by 0.3-0.5 X cell length. A distinct ventral ridge is present above the right side of the cingulum. The sulcus extends from the antapex to the episome, becoming slightly narrower toward the apex and connected to the left end of the apical groove at the apex. Cell length and width ranges of living cells unfed were 5-14 μm and 5-11 μm, respectively, but cells fed A. carterae measured 9-22 and 6-16 μm, respectively. The ratio range of cell length to cell width of live cells fed with A. carterae was 1.1-1.6, and that of 3-d-starved cells was 1.0-1.8. Nucleus is oval and located in the left side of the cell. The amphiesmal vesicles are arranged in 16 horizontal rows; 6 rows on the episome, 5 rows in the cingulum, and 5 rows on the hyposome. A loop-shaped apical row of 5 amphiesmal vesicles, bearing 8-22 small knobs, surrounds 11 other amphiesmal vesicles. Peduncle, trichocysts and pusule system present, but eyespot and pyrenoid absent.
Gyrodiniella shiwhaense has been found in Shiwha Bay, Korea in September of 2009 when cryptomonads were abundant, temperature was 24.5 °C and salinity was 24.
From Kang et al. 2011:
The SSU rDNA of G. shiwhaense was about 3% different from Warnowia sp. (FJ947040), Lepidodinium viride, Gymnodinium aureolum, Gymnodinium catenatum, Nematodinium sp. (FJ947039) and Gymnodinium sp. (MUCC284). The LSU rDNA was 11-12% different from Warnowia sp. (FJ947042), Gymnodinium aureolum and Nematodinium sp. (FJ947041). Phylogenetic trees based on both genes placed this species in the Gymnodinium sensu stricto clade.
From Jeong et al. (2011):
Gyrodiniellum shiwhaense has been observed to feed upon Teleaulax sp. and Amphidinium carterae in the laboratory. Maximum grazing rates on these species were 0.35 and 0.54 ng C grazer-1 day-1 respectively. After anchoring prey with a tow filament, it feeds using a peduncle. This species ingests small algal cells with a spherical diameter of <13 μm. The specific growth rate of G. shiwahaense increases when feeding on algal prey. It is estimated that G. shiwahaense can have a significant grazing impact on algal populations.
