Karenia mikimotoi
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Karenia mikimotoi | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Clade: | Sar |
| Clade: | Alveolata |
| Phylum: | Dinoflagellata |
| Class: | Dinophyceae |
| Order: | Gymnodiniales |
| Family: | Kareniaceae |
| Genus: | Karenia |
| Species: | K. mikimotoi |
| Binomial name | |
| Karenia mikimotoi (Miyake & Kominami ex Oda) Gert Hansen & Ø.Moestrup | |
Karenia mikimotoi is a dinoflagellate species from the genus Karenia that can cause a harmful algal bloom. Its first appearance was in Japan in 1935 and since then, it has appeared in other parts of the world such as the east coast of the United States, Norway, the English Channel, and southern Australia.
Karenia mikimotoi has yellow-brown chloroplasts and, like other species in its genus, is able to activate photosynthetically. It lacks thecal plates, and is more ovular.[1]
Blooms usually form during warmer months.[citation needed]
The toxicity of Karenia mikimotoi is not fully understood, whereas other species in Karenia have identified toxins that are shown to kill marine life. For example, Karenia brevis has brevetoxins. It is believed that its killing effects are due to a combination of the creation of an anoxic environment by the physical bloom itself in addition to some sort of toxin.[citation needed]
New toxins called gymnocin A and B were discovered in 2005,[2] but their low toxicity is inconsistent with the high number of deaths Karenia mikimotoi causes. It is believed that in red tides, Karenia mikimotoi fills in the fish's gills, thereby allowing direct contact with toxins. This is a more likely approach to the toxin's mechanisms.[citation needed]