The ribbon-like chloroplast are spirally arranged in a vegetative filament. These walls are arranged in overlapping halves, much like the halves of a petri dish. They are a vitally important as a primary link in the food chain of the oceans. Dinoflagellates - Characterized by the bizarre appearance of their cellulose plates and by the presence of two flagella located in perpendicular grooves. Red-pigmented dinoflagellates cause red tides.
Species occur in freshwater and marine plankton habitats worldwide.
These single-celled protists are motile and have two flagella. It has an elongated heart shape with chloroplasts and a red eyespot near the base of the flagella. Some are autotrophic others are heterotrophic.