Multiple choice

Which species of Pyrrhophyta can produce light and are responsible for the phosphorescence seen in ocean waters at night?

  1. Chlamydomonas

  2. Chlorella

  3. Gonyaulax

  4. Gambierdiscus

  5. Cryptomonas

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Gonyaulax, a species of Pyrrhophyta or dinoflagellates, can produce light and are responsible for much of the luminescence or phosphorescence seen in ocean waters at night when the water is disturbed. In the phosphorescent bays, high densities of a single species occur. Red tides are blooms, essentially monocultures of a given dinoflagellate species, which may or may not be luminous.