alexandrium_catenella

7/31/2019 Alexandrium_catenella

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Alexandrium

catenella

Taxon Family / Order / Class / Phylum

Alexandrium catenella (Whedon & Kofoid) Balech 1985 Goniodomataceae / Gonyaulacales / Dinophyceae /Pyrrophycophyta

COMMON NAMES (English only)

Unknown

SYNONYMS

Gonyaulax catenella Whedon and Kofoid, 1936Protogonyaulax catenella (Whedon et Kofoid) Taylor1979;Gessnerium catenellum (Loeblich III et Loeblich)Taylor 1979

SHORT DESCRIPTION

Itis an armoured, marine, planktonic dinoflagellatetypically occurring in characteristic short chains of 2, 4or 8 cells, swimming together in a snake-like fashion.Single cells are almost round, 20-48 m in length and18-32 m in width.

BIOLOGY/ECOLOGY

Dispersal mechanisms

It is dispersed by water currents.

Reproduction

It reproduces asexually by binary fission. Thisspecies also has a sexual cycle with oppositemating types (heterothallism). After gametefusion, a planozygote forms which then encystsinto a characteristic resting cyst. The life cycle has several stages: motile vegetative cells, haploid gametes,diploid zygotes, resting cysts and temporary cysts.

Known predators/herbivores

Unknown.

Resistant stages (seeds, spores etc.)The species produces a colourless resting cyst. The cyst is roughly ellipsoidal with rounded ends,and is coveredby a smooth wall and a mucilaginous substance. In the cyst stage cells can survive long periods in darkness untilenvironmental conditions are suitable for germination.

HABITAT

Native (EUNIS code)

A7: Pelagic water column, occupies the upper water layers in coastal and estuarine waters.

Habitat occupied in invaded range (EUNIS code)

A7: Pelagic water column, occupies the upper water layers in coastal waters and estuarine waters.Habitat requirements

It is considered to be a coldwater species that is seldom found at temperatures over 12C.However, in Japaneseand Spanish Mediterranean waters at temperatures over 20C this species not only survives, but also blooms. The

salinity range is 20 to 37 ppt. The experimental optimal physical conditions for growth are pH 8.5, salinity of 30-35 ppt, temperature of 20-25C.

Chain of cells ofAlexandrium catenella

Photo: Jan Rines, East Sound Phytoplankton Checklist.


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DISTRIBUTION

Native Range

Type Locality: NW Pacific Ocean: San Diego, California, USA.

Known Introduced Range

Populations have been recorded from the west coast of North America (from California to Alaska), Chile,Argentina, western South Africa, Japan and Kamchatka peninsula in Russia, Australia and Tasmania, in the

North Sea, NE Atlantic (Faroe Islands) and several localities in the Mediterranean Sea.Trend

There is a rapid expansion and increasing abundance in the Mediterranean Sea.

MAP (European distribution)

Legend

Known in country Known in CGRS square Known in sea

INTRODUCTION PATHWAY

A. catenella was probably introduced with ballast water discharges. Its resting cells were found in sediment samplesfrom ballast tanks.

IMPACT

Ecosystem Impact

Responsible for creating red tides, it is a known paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) toxins-producing species.The toxins can affect humans, other mammals, fish and birds. Recently, it has been shown that PSP toxins canalso be found in crabs and lobsters.

Health and Social Impact

This species is responsible for numerous human illnesses and several deaths after consumption of infectedshellfish.

Economic Impact

Its toxicity may cause considerable economic damage to aquaculture and the shellfish harvest. The PSP toxinsaffect living sea resources that feed by filtering plankton (e.g. gastropods, bivalves).

MANAGEMENTPrevention

Avoiding ballast water uptake during the red tides, mid ocean exchange of ballast water


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Mechanical

Unknown.Chemical

Chemical treatment in ship ballast tanks can work.Biological

Unknown.

REFERENCES

Fukuyo Y (1985) Morfology ofProtogonyaulax tamarensis (Lebour) Taylor and Protogonyaulax catenella(Whedon and Kofoid) Taylor from Japanese coastal waters. Bulletin of Marine Science 37:529-537

Hallegraeff GM, Marshall JA, Valentine J and Hardiman S. (1998) Short cyst-dormancy period of an Australianisolate of the toxic dinoflagellateAlexandrium catenella. Marine and Freshwater Research 49(5):415420

Vila M, Garces E, Maso M, and Camp J. (2001) Is the distribution of the toxic dinoflagellateAlexandrium catenellaexpanding along the NW Mediterranean coast? Marine Ecology Progress Series 222:73-83

OTHER REFERENCES

Avaria SP (1979) Red tides off the coast of Chile. In: L.T. Taylor & H.H. Seliger (eds.), Toxic DinoflagellateBlooms, Elsevier/North-Holland, New York: 161-164

Faust MA, Gulledge RA (2006)Alexandrium catenella. Identifying Harmful Marine Dinoflagellates.http://www.nmnh.si.edu/botany/projects/dinoflag/Taxa/Acatanella.htm (download 2006-09-08)Fukuyo, Y.H.,Takano, M., Chihara & K. Matsuoka. 1990. Red Tide Organisms in Japan. An illustrated Taxonomic Guide.Uchida Rokakuho, Co., Ltd., Tokyo. p 407

Hallegraeff GM (1991) Aquaculturists Guide to Harmful Australian Microalgae. Fishing Industry Training Board ofTasmania/CSIRO Division of Fisheries, Hobart, p 111

Kim C-H, Sako Y & Ishida Y (1993) Variation of toxin production and composition in axenic cultures ofAlexandrium catenella andA. tamarense. Nippon Suisan Gakkaishi 59:633-639

Meksumpun S, Montani S & Uematsu M (1994) Elemental components of cyst walls of three marinephytoflagellates, Chattonella antiqua (Raphidophyceae),Alexandrium catenella and Scrippsiella trochoidea(Dinophyceae). Phycologia 33:275-280

Microbial Biorealm (2006) The genusAlexandrium.http://microbewiki.kenyon.edu/index.php/Alexandrium#Classification

Nishitani L & Chew K (1988) PSP toxins in the Pacific coast states: monitoring programs and effects on bivalveindustries. J. Shell. Res. 7:653-669

Ogata T & Kodama M (1986) Ichthyotoxicity found in cultured media ofProtogonyaulax spp. Mar. Biol. 95:217-220

Onoue Y, Noguchi T & Hashimoto K (1980) Studies on paralytic shellfish poison from the oyster cultured inSenzaki Bay, Yamaguchi Prefecture. Bull. Japan. Soc. Sci. Fish. 46:1031-1034

Onoue Y, Noguchi T, Maruyama J, Hasimoto K & Ikeda T (1981a). Comparison of PSP compositions betweentoxic oysters and Protogonyaulax catenella from Senzaki Bay, Yamaguchi Prefecture. Bull. Japan. Soc Sci Fish47:1347-1350

Onoue Y, Noguchi T, Maruyama J, Hasimoto K & Ikeda T (1981b) New toxins separated from oysters and

Protogonyaulax catenella from Senzaki Bay, Yamaguchi Prefecture. Bull. Japan. Soc Sci Fish 47: 1643Penna A, Garcs E, Vila M, Giacobbe MG, Fraga S, Lugli A, Bravo I, Bertozzini E and Vernesi C (2005)

Alexandrium catenella (Dinophyceae), a toxic ribotype expanding in the NW Mediterranean Sea. MarineBiology. 148(1):13-23

Prakash A, Medcof JC & Tennant AD (1971) Paralytic shellfish poisoning in eastern Canada. Bull. Fish. Res. Bd.Can. 177:1-87

Sharpe CA (1981) Paralytic shellfish poison, California- Summer 1980. State of California Dept. Health Services-Sanitary Engineering Section

Steidinger KA and Tangen K (1996) Dinoflagellates. In: Carmelo R. Tomas (ed.) Identifying Marine Phytoplankton.387-584

Taylor FJR, Fukuyo Y & Larsen J (1995) Taxonomy of harmful dinoflagellates. In: G.M. Hallegraeff, D.M.Anderson & A.D. Cembella (eds.), Manual on Harmful Marine Microalgae, IOC Manuals and Guides No. 33.

UNESCO, France: 283-317

Turki S & Balti N (2005) Detection of toxicAlexandrium catenella (Whedon & Kofoid) Balech in clam productionzone of North Lake and Channel, Tunisia. Harmful Algae News. No 28: 1-3


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Whedon WF & Kofoid CA (1936) Dinoflagellata of the San Diego region. I. On the skeletal morphology of twonew species, Gonyaulax catenella and G.acatenella. Univ Calf Publ Zool 41:25-31

Yoshimatsu S (1981) Sexual reproduction ofProtogonyaulax catenella in culture I. Heterothallism. Bull Plank SocJpn 28:131-139

Author: Irina Olenina & Sergej Olenin

Date Last Modified: September, 2006

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