genus of marine or freshwater dinoflagellates. Members of the genus are bilaterally symmetrical with a delicate pellicle (or envelope) and disk-shaped chromatophores (chromatophore), which, when present, contain yellow, brown, green, or blue pigments. The genus is claimed by both botanists and zoologists, for, like all dinoflagellates, it has both plantlike and animal-like species. Some species are photosynthetic; others require solid food. Some may be bioluminescent or form periodic blooms that may colour water (water bloom) yellow or red. A few species produce a toxin similar to that of the dinoflagellate Gonyaulax; both toxins are fatal to fish and can irritate the nose and throat of human beings if inhaled.