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Introduction Dinoflagellates are unicellular, flagellated protists The first modern dinoflagellate was described by Baker in 1753 The dinoflagellates were first defined by Otto Bütschli in 1885 as the flagellate order Dinoflagellida. Botanists treated them as a division of algae, named Pyrrhophyta after the bioluminescent forms. They have also been called the Dinophyta or Dinoflagellata Over 2000 species Traditionally classified as algae Most are microscopic, but a few reach a diameter of up to 2mm The dinoflagellates are a large group of flagellate protists. Most are marine plankton, but they are common in fresh water habitats as well. About half of all dinoflagellates are photosynthetic, and these make up the largest group of algae aside from the diatoms. Some species, called zooxanthellae, are endosymbionts of marine animals and protozoa, and play an important part in the biology of coral reefs. Other dinoflagellates are colorless predators on other protozoa, and a few forms are parasitic.