Nitzschia is a common pennate marine diatom. In the scientific literature, this genus, named after Christian Ludwig Nitzsch, is sometimes referred to incorrectly as Nitzchia, and it has many species described, which all have a similar morphology. In its current circumscription, Nitzschia is paraphyletic.[1]
Occurrence
Nitzschia is found mostly in colder waters, and is associated with both Arctic and Antarctic polar sea ice, where it is often found to be the dominant diatom. Nitzschia includes several species of diatoms known to produce the neurotoxin known as domoic acid, a toxin responsible for the human illness called amnesic shellfish poisoning. The species N. frigida is found to grow exponentially even at temperatures between −4 and −6 °C.[2] Some Nitzschia species are also extremophiles by dint of tolerance to high salinity; for example, some halophilic species of Nitzschia are found in the Makgadikgadi Pans in Botswana.[3]
Species
The genus Nitzschia includes more than 1280 species and variants — for more information, see: "Genus: Nizschia". algaebase.org. Some of these are:
^Mann, David G.; Trobajo, Rosa; Sato, Shinya; Li, Chunlian; Witkowski, Andrzej; Rimet, Frédéric; Ashworth, Matt P.; Hollands, Ruth M.; Theriot, Edward C. (2021). "Ripe for reassessment: A synthesis of available molecular data for the speciose diatom family Bacillariaceae". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 158: 106985. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2020.106985. hdl:20.500.12327/976. S2CID222833402.
^L. Aletsee and J.Jahnke, 'Growth and productivity of the psychrophilic marine diatoms Thalassiosira antarctica Comber and Nitzschia frigida Grunow in batch cultures at temperatures below the freezing point of sea water. Polar biol(1992) 11:643-647>
