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Shields lab data interface

Species of Hematodinium are parasitic dinoflagellates that infect crabs, lobsters and amphipods. The parasites are quite bizarre, with strange life cycles, unusual morphologies, and other characters that are quite different from their free-living counterparts.

Inside the crab, the parasite does not resemble your typical dinoflagellate!

Amoeboid trophonts from Callinectes sapidus.

Filamentous trophont from Callinectes sapidus. This stage is motile!

A complete list of the Parasitic Dinoflagellates of Crustacea is available as well as a review of the subject (Shields, 1994)