First report of three benthic dinoflagellates,Gambierdiscus pacificus,G. australes and G. caribaeus (Dinophyceae), from Hainan Island,South China Sea |
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| Authors: | Hua Zhang Zhen Wu Jingyi Cen Yang Li Hualong Wang Songhui Lu |
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| Affiliation: | 1. College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Key Laboratory of Eutrophication and Red Tide Prevention of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China;2. College of Life Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China |
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| Abstract: | Species of the marine benthic dinoflagellate genus Gambierdiscus are the principal cause of Ciguatera fish poisoning. This genus has been recorded from tropical to temperate oceans, although Gambierdiscus species have rarely been found in Chinese waters. Our work revealed the morphological and genetic characteristics of three potentially toxic Gambierdiscus species observed in the temperate to subtropical waters of China. The fine thecal morphology was determined based on light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy analyses, and these species were also characterized by sequencing the D1–D3 and D8–D10 regions of the LSU rDNA. The morphological and genetic data indicated that these three Gambierdiscus species were G. pacificus, G. australes and G. caribaeus. This work provides the first report of these species in Chinese waters, which increases the known species distribution of this genus. |
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| Keywords: |
Chinese waters
Gambierdiscus
LSU rDNA
morphology |
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