Dinoflagellate diversity and distribution in Chilika Lagoon with description of new records

Abstract

The study deals with the diversity and spatial distribution of the dinoflagellate class Dinophyceae in Chilika lagoon, north east coast of India. Thirty-eight species of dinoflagellates belonging to eight families were recorded, of which twelve are new reports to the lagoon. Of the twenty-six species recorded earlier, <i>Neoceratium furca, Neoceratium fusus, Dinophysis caudate</i> and <i>Noctiluca scintillans</i> were common among most of the earlier studies. Current study recorded presence of <i>Dinophysis miles,</i> which has not been encountered ever since it was first reported from the lagoon six decades ago. An updated checklist of dinoflagellates indicated presence of 68 species in the lagoon. The outer channel of the lagoon differed from southern and central sectors in distribution of dinoflagellates under the influence of salinity regime.