Gambierdiscus Toxicus

Gambierdiscus toxicus is a photosynthetic, single-celled dinoflagellate first found attached to the surface of brown macroalgae, and it lives in tropical and subtropical parts of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, colonizing macroalgae, dead coral, and sandy bottoms, though its cells can detach and swim in the water column in the light. It is a major public health concern because it produces potent toxic polyether compounds, including ciguatoxin and maitotoxin, which build up in fish that graze on it and cause ciguatera fish poisoning in people who eat the contaminated fish.