A family of marine and freshwater dinoflagellates that typically lack a rigid cell wall, allowing them to move flexibly through water.
From Greek 'gymnos' (naked) + 'dinos' (spinning) + Latin '-aceae' (family suffix). The name references both their unarmored condition and the spinning motion characteristic of dinoflagellates.
This family includes some of the ocean's most dangerous members—certain species produce toxins that accumulate in shellfish and can poison people who eat them, causing paralytic shellfish poisoning!
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