Pseudo-nitzschia australis

Classification

Higher order taxa

Domain Eukarya, phylum Gyrista, class Bacillariophyceae, order Bacillariales, family Bacillariaceae, genus Pseudo-nitzschia,

Species

Pseudo-nitzschia australis

Description and significance

P. australis is a species of marine diatom capable of causing harmful algae blooms (HABs), via its production of the toxic domoic acid. (Nishimura et al, 2021). Due to this toxin's buildup in shellfish, P. australis is known to cause Amnesiac Shellfish Poisoning (ASP) in humans that consume infected shellfish, which can cause long-lasting neurological symptoms such as amnesia and dementia (Figueroa et al, 2018).

16S Ribosomal RNA Gene Information

P. australis has been shown to be related to P. seriata at 95% and P. multistriata at 60%. It is also related to P. obtusa (Nishimura et al, 2021).

References

Nishimura T, Murray JS, Boundy MJ, Balci M, Bowers HA, Smith KF, Harwood DT, Rhodes LL. Update of the Planktonic Diatom Genus Pseudo-nitzschia in Aotearoa New Zealand Coastal Waters: Genetic Diversity and Toxin Production. Toxins (Basel). 2021 Sep 10;13(9):637. doi: 10.3390/toxins13090637. PMID: 34564641; PMCID: PMC8473122.

Figueroa, Rosa, Estrada, Marta, Garcés, Esther. Life histories of microalgal species causing harmful blooms: Haploids, diploids and the relevance of benthic stages. Harmful Algae,Volume 73. 2018. Pages 44-57. ISSN 1568-9883. doi: /10.1016/j.hal.2018.01.006.