Abstract
Gambierdiscus toxicus, Adachi et. Fukuyo, is a benthic ciguatoxin-producing armored dinoflagellate, often attached to macroalgae. This organism is the primary causative agent of ciguatera fish poisoning which occurs in tropical and subtropical regions. However, regardless of the fact that the population of Gambierdiscus spp. has expanded to such temperate areas from sub-trophic and trophic areas, monitoring of G. toxicus has been lacking in the Korean coastal waters of temperate areas. This study was performed at the uninhabited Baekdo Islands off the southern coast of Korea and at Seopsom Island in the vicinity of Seogwipo, Jeju Province during April and May, 2011. Cell densities of Gambierdiscus spp. on macroalgae at Baekdo and Jeju Island ranged from zero to 56.4 cells <TEX>$g^{-1}$</TEX>. Maximum density was recorded on the brown alga Cladophora japonica at St. 3 of Jeju Island. In particular, the cell densities of Gambierdiscus spp. were influenced by the substrate characteristics of macroalgae. In the future, the continuous monitoring of toxic benthic dinoflagellate is necessary to predict and prevent ciguatera poisoning in Korean coastal waters.
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