Dictyochales
| Silicoflagellates Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
| Dictyocha speculum | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Clade: | Diaphoretickes |
| Clade: | Sar |
| Clade: | Stramenopiles |
| Phylum: | Ochrophyta |
| Class: | Dictyochophyceae |
| Order: | Dictyochales Haeckel, 1894 |
| Family: | Dictyochaceae Lemmermann, 1901 |
| Genera | |
| Synonyms | |
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The silicoflagellates (order Dictyochales) are a small group of unicellular photosynthetic protists, or algae, belonging to the supergroup of eukaryotes known as Stramenopiles. They behave as plankton and are present in oceanic waters. They are well-known from harmful algal blooms that cause high mortality of fish. Additionally, they compose a rich fossil record represented by their silica skeletons.