gonyaulax

/goh'nee aw"laks/, n.

any marine dinoflagellate of the genus Gonyaulax, sometimes occurring in great numbers and causing red tide.

[ < NL < Gk góny KNEE + aûlax furrow]

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▪ dinoflagellate genus

      genus of dinoflagellates (single-celled aquatic organisms) that inhabit fresh, saline, or brackish water. Members are covered by closely fitting cellulose plates and have two flagella: one extends backward from a longitudinal groove in the armour, and the other, in an encircling groove, may help to keep the animal afloat. There is no eyespot (stigma), and the pigment-containing chromatophores are yellow to dark brown. G. catenella, a toxic planktonic form, is sometimes abundant enough to colour water and cause the phenomenon called red tide (q.v.), which may kill many fish and other animals. Human beings may be poisoned by eating mussels that have ingested large quantities of G. catenella.

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