Abstract: Alexandrium ostenfeldii is a potentially toxic dinoflagellate that often occurs in coastal areas at high latitudes. Here we report the presence of A. ostenfeldii in the Bohai Sea, China, for the first time. The vegetative cells of A. ostenfeldii are characterized by a narrow first apical plate and a large ventral pore located on the anterior right side. Partial large subunit sequence comparison revealed that the Chinese strain differs from the Finnish strains at only three positions, and from A. peruvianum of Spain at five positions. Maximum parsimony analysis revealed that A. ostenfeldii from China and Finland and A. peruvianum from Spain grouped together. They were the nearest sister group to a clade with A. ostenfeldii from New Zealand, Europe, and North America. In culture, growth did not occur at temperatures below 9 °C and occurred at salinities between 7 and 27 psu. It took 10–20 days for newly formed cysts to mature at 20 °C. Lower temperature delayed germination, but the germination rate exceeded 90% at temperatures from 12 to 24 °C. No germination occurred below 9 °C after 1 month of incubation. The Chinese strain of A. ostenfeldii produced neither spirolides nor paralytic shellfish poisoning toxins.

Key words: Alexandrium ostenfeldii, Bohai Sea, China, cyst, growth, toxicity.