Ceratium furca is a species of marine dinoflagellate

Dinoflagellate

The dinoflagellates are a large group of flagellate protists. Most are marine plankton, but they are common in fresh water habitats as well. Their populations are distributed depending on temperature, salinity, or depth...

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Description

This species has a straight body 70-200 µm long and 30-50 µm wide, with the epitheca gradually tapering into an anterior horn. Ceratium furca has long spines, and is an "armoured" species with a theca of thick cellulose plates. The cells are nearly flat, with the ventral side concave and the dorsal side being convex.

Further reading

Dodge, J. D. 1982. Marine Dinoflagellates of the British Isles. Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London. 303 pp.

Hansen, G. & Larsen, J. 1992. Dinoflagellater i danske farvande. In: Thomsen, H. A. (ed.) Plankton i de indre danske farvande. Havforskning fra Miljøstyrelsen, Copenhagen, p. 45-155.

Steidinger, K. A. & Tangen, K. 1996. Dinoflagellates. In: Tomas, C. R. (ed.) Identifying marine diatoms and dinoflagellates. Academic Press, Inc., San Diego, p. 387-584.