Allelopathic effects in dinoflagellates A case study of the benthic genus Ostreopsis and two non-toxic species from the genera Prorocentrum and Coolia

Abstract

The epibenthic dinoflagellate Ostreopsis is a potentially toxic bloom-forming organism. Ostreopsis spp. have the ability to produce palytoxin-like compounds which have demonstrated to be harmful for both human health and 4benthic invertebrates (sea urchins). This genus often co-occurs with other dinoflagellates (i.e. Coolia, Prorocentrum) but little is known about the potential interactions between these dinoflagellates in the benthic environment. The aim of the present study was to explore the potential inhibitory effects on growth and/or cell behavior by toxic strains of Ostreopsis cf. ovata (VGO 1001) and Ostreopsis sp. (Lanzarote type VGO 1000), on two non-toxin producer dinoflagellates (Coolia monotis and Prorocentrum elegans) isolated from the same geographical area (Canary Islands, NE Atlantic).