• Ocean and Polar Research
• /
• v.34 no.1
• /
• pp.65-71
• /
• 2012

Gambierdiscus toxicus, Adachi et. Fukuyo, is a benthic ciguatoxin-producing armored dinoflagellate, often attached to macroalgae. This organism is the primary causative agent of ciguatera fish poisoning which occurs in tropical and subtropical regions. However, regardless of the fact that the population of Gambierdiscus spp. has expanded to such temperate areas from sub-trophic and trophic areas, monitoring of G. toxicus has been lacking in the Korean coastal waters of temperate areas. This study was performed at the uninhabited Baekdo Islands off the southern coast of Korea and at Seopsom Island in the vicinity of Seogwipo, Jeju Province during April and May, 2011. Cell densities of Gambierdiscus spp. on macroalgae at Baekdo and Jeju Island ranged from zero to 56.4 cells $g^{-1}$. Maximum density was recorded on the brown alga Cladophora japonica at St. 3 of Jeju Island. In particular, the cell densities of Gambierdiscus spp. were influenced by the substrate characteristics of macroalgae. In the future, the continuous monitoring of toxic benthic dinoflagellate is necessary to predict and prevent ciguatera poisoning in Korean coastal waters.

• ALGAE
• /
• v.26 no.4
• /
• pp.317-325
• /
• 2011

Five benthic species of the genus Gambierdiscus (Dinophyceae) were observed for the first time in the coastal waters of Pakistan, Northern Indian Ocean. The morphology of the epiphytic, ciguatera-related toxic species G. toxicus, G. belizeanus, G. polynesiensis, G. australes and G. cf. yasumotoi are presented here, described by the Kofoid system of thecal plates Po, 3', 7", 6c, 8s, 5"', 1p, 2"" with differences in cell shape, cell size, plates, pores around the apical pore plate by using light and scanning electron microscopy. The occurrence of these potentially toxic dinoflagellate species in Pakistani coastal areas of Manora Channel and Balochistan during high temperatures of 28-$32^{\circ}C$ is cause of concern for human health impacts from ciguatera fish poisoning.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
• /
• v.10 no.2
• /
• pp.73-79
• /
• 1995

Incidents of seafood and massive fish kills have been rapidly increasing in both frequency and geographical distribution and the socioeconomic impacts brought by those incidents. However, the biological origins of those marine toxins have not been well clarified. Most of the marine organisms investigated are filter-feeder, which accumulate toxins from their food and/or their symbiotic microalgae. We have examined the action on rabbit platelets of marine toxins isolated from cultured dinoflagellates and sponge collected at Okinawa. Maitotoxin (MTX) is a water-soluble toxin isolated from the cultured dinoflagellate Gambierdiscus toxicus which causes a seafood poisoning in tropical regions. Zooxanthellatoxin A (ZT-A) was isolated from exteracts of cultured symbiotic dinoflagellate Symbiodinium sp. (socalled zooxanthella) from flatworms of the genus Amphiscolops collected at Okinawan marine sponge Theonella sp. MTX caused a disaggregation and a dissolution of large aggregates. ZT-A caused a dissolution of small aggregates followed by a increment of light tranmission. TZ-A caused an initial and transient shape change followed by a sustained aggregation and a increment of large aggregates. In conclusion, marine toxins exert unique patterns on the light trasmission and the size of aggregates in rabbit platelets by their concentrations and kinds