''Ceratium furca'' is a species of marine

dinoflagellate The Dinoflagellates (), also called Dinophytes, are a monophyletic group of single-celled eukaryotes constituting the phylum Dinoflagellata and are usually considered protists. Dinoflagellates are mostly marine plankton, but they are also commo ...

Description

This species has a straight body which is 70-200 μm long and 30-50 μm wide, with the epitheca gradually tapering into an anterior horn. ''C. furca'' has long spines, and is an "armoured" species with a

theca In biology, a theca (: thecae) is a sheath or a covering. Botany In botany, the theca is related to plant's flower anatomy. The theca of an angiosperm consists of a pair of microsporangia that are adjacent to each other and share a common ar ...

of thick

cellulose Cellulose is an organic compound with the chemical formula, formula , a polysaccharide consisting of a linear chain of several hundred to many thousands of glycosidic bond, β(1→4) linked glucose, D-glucose units. Cellulose is an important s ...

plates. The cells are nearly flat, with the ventral side concave and the dorsal side being convex.

Distribution

''Ceratium furca'' is found worldwide.

Subspecies

*''Ceratium furca eugrammum'' *''Ceratium furca furca''

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2562687 Protists described in 1859 Gonyaulacales Dinoflagellate species