Before revision:  Here we show that in comparison to the wildtype, markedly different synchronization states are found in Chlamydomonas mutants deficient in filamentary connections between basal bodies. Quantitative studies of complex flagellar coordination strategies found in quadri-, octo- and hexadecaflagellates reveal further evidence that intracellular couplings between flagellar basal bodies compete with hydrodynamic interactions to determine the precise form of flagellar synchronization in unicellular algae.
After revision:  In naturally occurring species with 4, 8, or even 16 flagella, we find diverse symmetries of basal body positioning and of the flagellar apparatus that are coincident with specific gaits of flagellar actuation, suggesting that it is a competition between intracellular coupling and hydrodynamic interactions that ultimately determines the precise form of flagellar synchronization in unicellular algae.