RECOGNITION OF CONTINENTAL DINOFLAGELLATES OF IRAN

Thirty seven species represented by 44 infra-specific taxa of dinoflagellates were identified by the author during 2000-2012, belonging to 1 class, 4 orders, 9 families, and 13 genera from different inland aquatic habitats of Iran, of which 25 species (31 infra-specific taxa) were found in the rivers. Brief ecological and geographical analysis of the algal flora was carried out. The geographical analysis showed the presence of 5 geoelements in Iranian algal flora of dinoflagellates (multiregional, holarctic, nemoral, boreal, arctic-alpine). Seven rare species which were unknown before for water bodies of Asia were identified along with widespread cosmopolitan dinokaryotes in investigated water bodies of Iran. According to the literary analysis and investigations carried out by the author, totally 42 species (50 inf. taxa) of freshwater dinoflagellates were known in the different water bodies of Iran.