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An illustration of Noticulales with buds. The Noctilucales are a peculiar order of marine dinoflagellates. They differ from most others in that the mature cell is diploid and its nucleus does not show a dinokaryotic organization. These cells are very large, from 1 to 2 millimetres in diameter, and are filled with large buoyant vacuoles. Some may contain symbiotic green algae, but there are no chloroplasts. Instead, they feed on other plankton, and there is usually a special tentacle involved in ingestion.

Noctilucales

An illustration of Noticulales with buds. The Noctilucales are a peculiar order of marine dinoflagellates.…

An illustration of Noticulales in section: an, anus; d, denticle; f, flagellum; t, tentacle. The Noctilucales are a peculiar order of marine dinoflagellates. They differ from most others in that the mature cell is diploid and its nucleus does not show a dinokaryotic organization. These cells are very large, from 1 to 2 millimetres in diameter, and are filled with large buoyant vacuoles. Some may contain symbiotic green algae, but there are no chloroplasts. Instead, they feed on other plankton, and there is usually a special tentacle involved in ingestion.

Noctilucales

An illustration of Noticulales in section: an, anus; d, denticle; f, flagellum; t, tentacle. The Noctilucales…

The Noctilucales are a peculiar order of marine dinoflagellates. They differ from most others in that the mature cell is diploid and its nucleus does not show a dinokaryotic organization. These cells are very large, from 1 to 2 millimetres in diameter, and are filled with large buoyant vacuoles. Some may contain symbiotic green algae, but there are no chloroplasts. Instead, they feed on other plankton, and there is usually a special tentacle involved in ingestion.

Noctilucales

The Noctilucales are a peculiar order of marine dinoflagellates. They differ from most others in that…