First detection of diatom Pseudo-nitzschia brasiliana (non toxic) and its relative P. multistriata (presumably toxic) in the NW Mediterranean Sea

1 pageDiatoms of the genus Pseudonitzschia are widely distributed in seas and oceans. They attract world wide interest since they were found to produce the lethal neurotoxin domoic acid (DA). Back in 1987, a member of this genus (P. multiseries) caused amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP) in eastern Canada [1]. Production of DA is reported for at least ten species of Pseudo-nitzschia [2], and their blooms result in marked toxin accumulation through the food chains, with subsequent impacts on individual marine organisms, total ecosystems, humans, and even the economy [3]. In the Mediterranean, both Pseudonitzschia galaxiae and P. multistriata were shown to be toxic [4]. [...]Peer Reviewe