Having all those algae floating around means a lot of food for someone. With such an abundance of food, it means that the populations of certain predators will increase. One of these predators is a fascinating, viscious, alien-like creature. Its name? It is called... pfiesteria ...

Pfiesteria was discovered n 1991 by scientists from NC State University, Dr. Jo Ann Burkholder and Dr. Ed Noga. Pfiesteria is an organism known as a dinoflagellate. One fascinating thing about dinoflagellates is that they act like both plants and animals! They have a tiny tail, called a flagella, which they whip around behind them, allowing them to move about. But, pfiesteria does not always do that. It goes through 24 different life "stages", where it changes itself to match its enviornment. To see pictures of pfiesteria and its different stages, go to the NC State Aquatic Botany pfiesteria image gallery

OK... so pfiesteria is a neat little predator that eats algae... what does that have to do with the fish?

Yes, pfiesteria does eat algae... but in one or more of its forms it also becomes poisonous! When it is poisonous, it becomes a predator of bigger game... like fish! As hard as it is to believe, the tiny, microscopic pfiestra will eat fish! When pfiestra detects a large school of fish swimming near it, it can change into a form that allows it to swim towards the school. As it does so, it will release a poison (a "toxin") into the water which stuns the fish, allowing the tiny organism to get close enough to eat the fish. Fish weakened from lack of oxygen are much more likely to be caught by pfiesteria.

If you want to see what UNC-Chapel Hill scientists say about pfiesteria, GO HERE!

BACK	Next: Danger?