Pseudo-nitzschia multistriata is a domoic-acid-producing, pennate diatom (Orsini et al. 2002).
Pseudo-nitzschia multistriata has been reported mostly in the tropical and temperate Pacific. It appears in the South China Sea during the spring (Qi et al. 1994). It has also been reported from the Gulf of Naples, where it is toxic (Orsini et al. 2002). From Hasle 2002: Atlantic: Gulf of Naples, ca 41°N (Sarno and Dahlman, 2000). Pacific: Tokyo Bay, ca 36°N (Takano, 1993. H. Takano , Marine diatom Nitzschia multistriata sp. nov. Common at inlets of southern Japan. Diatom Jpn. J. Diatomol. 1 (1993), pp. 18–20.Takano, 1993) to northern waters of the South Island, New Zealand, ca 42°S ( Rhodes et al., 2000), including Dapeng Bay, South China Sea ( Qi et al., 1994), the North Island, New Zealand ( Rhodes et al., 2000) and possibly Port Hacking, Australia and Bay of Thailand (unpublished observations).
Phylogenetic analyses using the D1-D3 region of LSU rRNA shows that P. multistriata clusters with other wide Pseudo-nitzschia species lacking a central interspace (Orsini et al. 2002).
Sexual reproduction has been observed in P. multistriata and occurs when the cells are 39-55 µm long (D.Alelio et al. 2009).
