Akashiwo sanguinea (Hirsaka) G. Hansen & Moestrup 2000

The toxins produced by species are yet to be described/ identified but it has been associated with fish/ invertebrate kills (Cardwell et al. 1979).

Abundant in several areas round the world including the USA, South America and the Black Sea.

A. sanguinea is a planktonic marine dinoflagellate that is associated with red tides. Cells are highly variable in colour; they can be highly pigmented, pale yellow or almost colourless (Tomas et al. 1997). Cells are dorso-ventrally flattened and roughly pentagnol shape (although as with colour it is highly variable in size and shape). This species lacks thecal plates. It is mixotrophic; predominately relying on its numerous spindle shaped, rust coloured chloroplasts, yet feeding on ciliate protozooplankton if necessary (Bockstahler & Coats 1993).

A. sanguinea reproduces asexually by binary fission

Temperature: 13-24ºC; Salinity: 15-35 PSU

Cells are roughly pentagnol shape (although this species is highly variable in size and shape). This species lacks thecal plates. The epitheca and hypotheca are nearly equal in size but very different in shape. The hypotheca is bilobate, while the epitheca is broadly conical. The median cingulum is left-handed and displaced 1-2 times its width. The sulcus does not invade the epitheca, but expands posteriorly into the hypotheca (Tomas et al. 1997).