About this species

Individually these critters are tiny and not usually visible to the naked eye. There are documented cases in Tasmania in which dense 'red tides' of Noctiluca, a type of phytoplankton, has bloomed in response to a combination of increased nutrient loads and warming waters. Note: because there are multiple species that can cause red tides, species-level identification of sightings should be considered tentative unless a sample has been verified under a microscope. Read more…