Dinoflagellate

A dinoflagellate is a tiny creature that lives in the water. It is like a plant and an animal at the same time. They have a special tail called a flagellum that helps them move around in the water. They are important because they make most of the oxygen in the ocean that fish need to breathe. Sometimes when there are too many dinoflagellates in the water, they can make it look red or brown, like a big stain (this is called a "red tide"). This can be dangerous for fish and other animals because the dinoflagellates make a toxin that can hurt them. People should be careful not to swim or eat seafood from waters with a red tide!