What is Lingulodinium polyedra?
{{italictitle}} [[File:Lingulodinium_polyedrum.jpg|right|220px|Lingulodinium polyedrum|thumb]] [[File:Lingulodinium scanning electron micrograph.tif|thumb|Ventral view of ''Lingulodinium polyedra'' as seen by a scanning electron microscope. Cell diameter is roughly 40 micrometers.]] [[File:Lingulodinium polyedrum bioluminescing in surf.jpg|thumb|''L. polyedra'' in the surf off Solana Beach, California on 25 September 2011. (Exposure: 3 sec / f4 / ISO 3200 / f 210 mm)]] '''''Lingulodinium polyedra''''' is a mobile [[Photosynthesis|photosynthetic]] [[dinoflagellate]]. It gives off a [[bioluminescent]] light which shows on beaches at night. It causes red tides. ''L. polyedra'' causes red tides in [[southern California]], with bioluminescent displays on beaches at night. The organism was first described in 1955 as a cyst, ''Hystrichosphaeridium machaerophorum'' from the [[Miocene]] of Balcombe Bay, [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria, Australia]].<ref>Deflandre G. and Cookson I.C., 1955. Fossil microplankton from Australian Late Mesozoic and Tertiary sediments. ''Aust. J. Mar Freshw. Res''. '''6''', 242-313.</ref> Its first appearance in the fossil record was in the [[Palaeocene]]. The toxins from such tiny dinoflagellates accumulate in shellfish which feed on them. [[Mussel|Mussels]], [[Scallop|scallops]] and [[clam]]s can be the agents of [[food poisoning]] if they eat these dinoflagellates.<ref>A. Tubaro; V. Dell’Ovo; S. Sosa; C. Florio 2010. Yessotoxins: a toxicological overview. ''Toxicon'' '''56''' (2): 163–172. [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19660487/]</ref> Keeping live shellfish in pure water for three days before cooking is a standard way to avoid this problem. == References == {{reflist}} [[Category:Algae]]