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Ostreopsis
''Ostreopsis'' is a genus of free-living dinoflagellates found in marine environments. Some species are benthic; the planktonic species in the genus are known for the toxic algal blooms that they sometimes cause, threatening human and animal health. Taxonomy The taxonomy of this genus is problematic. When in 1901, Schmidt first created the genus ''Ostreopsis'', he described the type species '' O. siamensis'' from the phytoplankton in the waters of the Gulf of Thailand. However, there were anomalies in the original drawing made by Schmidt, and ''O. siamensis'' was redescribed by Fukuyo in 1981; at the same time, Fukuyo introduced two new species, '' O. lenticularis'' and '' O. ovata''. Distribution and habitat ''Ostreopsis'' spp. have been found in many marine locations around the world. Despite ''O. siamensis'' having been found in the plankton, other species are generally found in benthic habitats. They are most noticeable in temperate seas when they ca ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Palytoxin
Palytoxin, PTX or PLTX is an intense vasoconstrictor, and is considered to be one of the most poisonous non-protein substances known, second only to maitotoxin in terms of toxicity in mice. Palytoxin is a polyhydroxylated and partially unsaturated compound (8 double bonds) with a long carbon chain. It has water-soluble and fat-soluble parts, 40 hydroxy groups and 64 chiral centers. Due to chirality and possible double bond ''cis-trans'' isomerism, it has over 1021 alternative stereoisomers. It is thermostable, and treatment with boiling water does not remove its toxicity. It remains stable in aqueous solutions for prolonged periods but rapidly decomposes and loses its toxicity in acidic or alkaline solutions. It has multiple analogues with a similar structure like ostreocin-D, mascarenotoxin-A and -B. Palytoxin occurs at least in tropics and subtropics where it is made by ''Palythoa'' corals and '' Ostreopsis'' dinoflagellates, or possibly by bacteria occurring in these organ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ostreopsis Lenticularis
Ostreopsis lenticularis is a species of dinoflagellate in the family Ostreopsidaceae described in 1981 by Yasuwo Fukuyo. ''O. lenticularis'' is known to produce toxins, including ostreotoxin. Distribution ''O. lenticularis'' was first idientified on the Gambier and Society Islands of French Polynesia and New Caledonia New Caledonia ( ; ) is a group of islands in the southwest Pacific Ocean, southwest of Vanuatu and east of Australia. Located from Metropolitan France, it forms a Overseas France#Sui generis collectivity, ''sui generis'' collectivity of t ... in the Pacific Ocean. References Gonyaulacales Dinoflagellate species Protists described in 1981 {{Dinoflagellate-stub Algae stubs ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Palythoa Toxica
''Palythoa toxica'', also referred to by its Hawaiian common name, limu-make-o-Hana ('seaweed of death from Hana'), is a species of zoanthid native to Hawaii. It is notable as the species in which palytoxin was discovered and from which it was first isolated.Clayden, J., Greeves, N. (2000), pages 19–21 Description ''P. toxica'' is an encrusting species with a firm, tough cuticle. The polyps are partially embedded in a cushiony mat of coenenchyme which grows across the rock surface, and which incorporates sand grains and fragments of debris. The oral disc of each polyp is broad and has a fringe of tentacles. The polyps can close up and be retracted into the coenenchyme, which then displays a pitted surface. The colour of this species is variable but is usually some shade of cream, grey or pale brown. History A Hawaiian legend relates how in a rock pool in the Hana district on the island of Maui there was to be found an alga known to the locals as "limu-make-o-Hana" ('seawe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Species
A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. Other ways of defining species include their karyotype, DNA sequence, morphology (biology), morphology, behaviour, or ecological niche. In addition, palaeontologists use the concept of the chronospecies since fossil reproduction cannot be examined. The most recent rigorous estimate for the total number of species of eukaryotes is between 8 and 8.7 million. About 14% of these had been described by 2011. All species (except viruses) are given a binomial nomenclature, two-part name, a "binomen". The first part of a binomen is the name of a genus to which the species belongs. The second part is called the specific name (zoology), specific name or the specific ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
World Register Of Marine Species
The World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) is a taxonomic database that aims to provide an authoritative and comprehensive catalogue and list of names of marine organisms. Content The content of the registry is edited and maintained by scientific specialists on each group of organism. These taxonomists control the quality of the information, which is gathered from the primary scientific literature as well as from some external regional and taxon-specific databases. WoRMS maintains valid names of all marine organisms, but also provides information on synonyms and invalid names. It is an ongoing task to maintain the registry, since new species are constantly being discovered and described by scientists; in addition, the nomenclature and taxonomy of existing species is often corrected or changed as new research is constantly being published. Subsets of WoRMS content are made available, and can have separate badging and their own home/launch pages, as "subregisters", such as th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Evechinus Chloroticus
''Evechinus chloroticus'', or kina, is a sea urchin endemic to New Zealand. This echinoderm belongs to the family Echinometridae and it can reach a maximum diameter of 16–17 cm. Kina populations throughout New Zealand have dramatically grown due to the effects of overfishing and climate change, resulting in over-grazing that significantly damages kelp forest ecosystems. Kina are now being actively removed from many ecosystems for marine conservation efforts. Kina have been a traditional component of Māori diet since pre-European times and has been fished commercially since 1986 in small quantities under the quota management system in restricted areas along the coast of New Zealand. Attempts to export ''E. chloroticus'' to Asian markets have been unsuccessful, so it may not be an economically attractive species for aquaculture development.James P. 2010. Sea urchins: opportunities and lessons. New Zealand Aquaculture 36 (July/August): 12–13. ''Evechinus chloroticus'' i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the west almost by the Morocco–Spain border. The Mediterranean Sea covers an area of about , representing 0.7% of the global ocean surface, but its connection to the Atlantic via the Strait of Gibraltar—the narrow strait that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea and separates the Iberian Peninsula in Europe from Morocco in Africa—is only wide. Geological evidence indicates that around 5.9 million years ago, the Mediterranean was cut off from the Atlantic and was partly or completely desiccation, desiccated over a period of some 600,000 years during the Messinian salinity crisis before being refilled by the Zanclean flood about 5.3 million years ago. The sea was an important ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
