DOI: 10.15468/ptzu4e
title: Diversity and distribution of species of the planktonic dinoflagellate genus Alexandrium (Dinophyta) from the tropical and subtropical Mexican Pacific Ocean

description: This dataset contains the digitized treatments in Plazi based on the original journal article Hernández-Becerril, David U., Pichardo-Velarde, Jorge G., Alonso-Rodríguez, Rosalba, Maciel-Baltazar, Ebodio, Morquecho, Lourdes, Esqueda-Lara, Karina, Barón-Campis, Sofía A., Quiroz-González, Nataly (2023): Diversity and distribution of species of the planktonic dinoflagellate genus Alexandrium (Dinophyta) from the tropical and subtropical Mexican Pacific Ocean. Botanica Marina (Warsaw, Poland) 66 (6): 539-557, DOI: 10.1515/bot-2023-0037, URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/bot-2023-0037Abstract: Species of the dinoflagellate genus Alexandrium are marine and planktonic forms, widely distributed, and some are recognized to form harmful algal blooms and to produce saxitoxins causing Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning in humans, and other toxins. We studied the species composition of Alexandrium in tropical and subtropical coastal areas of the Mexican Pacific: from the southern Gulf of California to the Gulf of Tehuantepec. Eleven Alexandrium species were identified, described, and illustrated using light microscopy, and occasionally scanning electron microscopy for certain*Corresponding author: David U. Hernández-Becerril, Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, Ciudad de México, Mexico,E-mail: dhernand@cmarl.unam.mxĮorge G. Pichardo-Velarde, CONACYT-Facultad de Ciencias del Mar (FACIMAR), Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa, Mazatlán, Sin., Mexico, E-mail: jorgepichardov@gmail.comRosalba Alonso-Rodríguez, Unidad Académica Mazatlán, Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mazatlán, Sin., Mexico, E-mail: rosalba@ola.icmyl.unam.mxEbodio Maciel-Baltazar, Laboratorio de Hidrobiología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Ciencias y Artes de Chiapas, Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chis., Mexico, E-mail: emacielb@hotmail.comLourdes Morquecho, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste, S.C. (CIBNOR), La Paz, B.C.S., Mexico, E-mail: lamorquecho@cibnor.mx Karina Esqueda-Lara, Centro del Cambio Global y la Sustentabilidad (CCGS), Villahermosa, Tab., Mexico, E-mail: karinaradha514@yahoo.com Sofía A. Barón-Campis, Instituto Nacional de Pesca y Acuacultura (INAPESCA), SADER, Ciudad de México, Mexico,E-mail: sofia.baron@inapesca.gob.mxNataly Quiroz-González, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, Ciudad de México, Mexico, E-mail: natalyquiroz@ciencias.unam.mx. https://orcid.org/0000-0001- 5582-980Xspecies. Additionally, the genetic characterization of seven strains and four species, was performed, using sequences of the D1/D2 LSU rDNA and ITS regions. We identified the species (morphospecies): Alexandrium affine, A. gaarderae, A. globosum, A. leei, A. margalefii, A. minutum, A. monilatum, A. pseudogonyaulax, A. tamarense, A. tamiyavanichii, and A. tropicale. Of these, A. affine, A. leei, A. minutum, A. monilatum, A. pseudogonyaulax, A. tamarense and A. tamiyavanichii have been widely recognized as harmful algae. Alexandrium gaarderae, A. globosum and A. tropicale are new records for the Mexican Pacific. This is the first morphological documentation of A. pseudogonyaulax. Future studies of the genus might increase its species richness if more cultures are established and metabarcoding approach is used.