Pseudopfiesteria shumwayae
| Pseudopfiesteria shumwayae | |
|---|---|
| Pseudopfiesteria shumwayae SEM micrograph | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Clade: | Diaphoretickes |
| Clade: | Sar |
| Clade: | Alveolata |
| Phylum: | Dinoflagellata |
| Class: | Dinophyceae |
| Order: | Thoracosphaerales |
| Family: | Pfiesteriaceae |
| Genus: | Pseudopfiesteria |
| Species: | P. shumwayae |
| Binomial name | |
| Pseudopfiesteria shumwayae Glasgow & Burkholder | |
Pseudopfiesteria shumwayae (formerly placed in the genus Pfiesteria; see 'Taxonomy' section below) is a species of heterotrophic dinoflagellates in the genus Pseudopfiesteria. It was first characterized in North Carolina in 2000. It can acquire the ability for photosynthesis through eating green algae and retaining their chloroplasts. It can also turn predatory and toxic. Strains of Pseudopfiesteria shumwayae have been implicated in fish kills around the US east coast. Pseudopfiesteria shumwayae has been described as having a less complex life cycle than Pfiesteria piscicida.