The affinities of the Dinoflagellata are certainly with those Cryptomonadine Flagellates which possess two unequal flagella; the zoospores or young of the Cystoflagellates are practically colourless Dinoflagellates.
Slightly larger flagellates and small ciliates prompt the spines to bend and curl so as to entangle the prey more thoroughly.
The earlier southern experiments showed a preference for pennate diatoms over flagellates.
In the South, diatoms are favored over flagellates, and in the north, centric diatoms over pennate.
Some flagellates combine the methods of plant and animal feeding, however most planktonic dinoflagellates are in fact plants.
