Identification and growth of Prorocentrum cf. cassubicum (Dinoflagellata: Prorocentraceae) from Bahía de La Paz: first record for the Gulf of California
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Prorocentrum includes ∼80 species inhabiting benthic and planktonic marine environments. Some species, such as Prorocentrum cassubicum and P. norrisianum, have similar morphology, which complicates their identification based solely on morphological characters. This study describes the morphometrics of two Prorocentrum strains (PNCETMAR-1 and PNCETMAR-2) isolated from the Ensenada de La Paz, Gulf of California. Sequences of the 28S and ITS regions of rDNA of both strains and the growth curve of strain PNCETMAR-1 were obtained. Strain PNCETMAR-1 was grown in modified GSe medium and f/2 medium at a salinity of 34, at 24 °C and 120–150 μmol m−2 s−1 in a 12 h light: 12 h dark cycle. There was no significant difference in growth between the culture media. In f/2 medium the maximum abundance was 74,312 ± 2,008 cells ml−1, while in GSe medium it reached 69,766 ± 2,154 cells ml−1. Morphometric and molecular analyses indicate that both strains belong to the same species. However, because the morphological and molecular information on P. cassubicum and P. norrisianum is contradictory, in this study they are reported as Prorocentrum cf. cassubicum, contributing to the first report of the occurrence and the growth of this species in the Gulf of California.
Source: Botanica Marina
Language: English
Subfield: Molecular Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
SDG: Life below water
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $2,712
OpenAlex ID: W4412178447