Karenia papilionacea
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| Taxonomic Group: | Dinoflagellate |
| Trophic Status: | Autotrophic |
| Size Range: | 18-48 μm wide x 18-32 μm long (Haywood et al. 2004) |
| Key Characteristics: | Epitheca with prominent pointed apical protrusion (carina) which contracts forward to overlap the upper ventral epitheca when cells are stressed, and thus could be less obvious in certain orientations; hypotheca is centrally excavated and bilobed; nucleus spherical to slightly oval and located in left hypotheca; chloroplasts are peripheral and can be few and large or several and small, round to reniform (Haywood et al. 2004) |
| Confused With: | Karenia brevis, which has a more slight hypothecal excavation and a less pointed and more bulbous apical protrusion |
| Toxin: | Unknown |