Comparative Study of Luminescent and Nonluminescent Strains Ofgonyaulax Excavata(pyrrhophyta)1,2

Three of ten cultures ofGonyaulax excavata(Braarud) Balech isolated from the 1972 New England red tide are nonluminescent, Biochemical components of dinoflagellate bioluminescence were not detected in the extracts from these three isolates. Cells of the nonluminescent cultures were identical to those of luminescent cultures as compared by light microscopy, major body plate tabulation, cell size and growth. Both luminescent and nonluminescent cells were toxic as determined by using the mouse bioassay for paralytic shellfish poisoning. All the 122 clones made from one of the luminescent isolates were luminescent suggesting this feature is a stable trait. We conclude that these isolates represent luminescent and luminescent strains ofG. excavata.This is the first intraspecific investigation of in vitro bioluminescent components between nonluminescent and luminescent strains of a dinoflagellate.