Sterols of the Toxic Marine Dinoflagellate, Pyrodinium bahamense.

Pyrodinium bahamense is a dinoflagellate of concern in subtropical and tropical coastal environments. To date, there is only a single published study on its fatty acids, but no published data on its sterol composition. Sterols, which are membrane‐reinforcing lipids in eukaryotes, display a great diversity of structures in dinoflagellates, with some serving as chemotaxonomic markers. We have examined the sterol compositions of two isolates of P. bahamense from Indian River Lagoon and Tampa Bay, Florida, and have found both to produce three sterols: cholesterol, dinosterol, and 4α‐methylgorgostanol. All three sterols are found in closely related, armored taxa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]