Ciguatoxin-Producing Dinoflagellate Gambierdiscus in the Beibu Gulf: First Report of Toxic Gambierdiscus in Chinese Waters.

ABSTRACT: Ciguatera poisoning is mainly caused by the consumption of reef fish that have accumulated ciguatoxins (CTXs) produced by the benthic dinoflagellates Gambierdiscus and Fukuyoa. China has a long history of problems with ciguatera, but research on ciguatera causative organisms is very limited, especially in the Beibu Gulf, where coral reefs have been degraded significantly and CTXs in reef fish have exceeded food safety guidelines. Here, five strains of Gambierdiscus spp. were collected from Weizhou Island, a ciguatera hotspot in the Beibu Gulf, and identified by light and scanning electron microscopy and phylogenetic analyses based on large and small subunit rDNA sequences. Strains showed typical morphological characteristics of Gambierdiscus caribaeus, exhibitin

SUBMITTER: Xu Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8473099 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature