Preliminary identification of three new isolates in genus Alexandrium (Dinophyceae) from China sea area

The 5.8S ribosomal DNA sequences (5.8S rDNA) and their flanking regions, internal transcribed spacer 1 and spacer 2 (ITS1 and ITS2) of three new isolates in genus Alexandrium (Alexandrium sp. qd1, Alexandrium sp. qd2, Alexandrium sp. gz) from China were amplified, sequenced, and subjected to phylogenetic analysis. Alexandrium sp. gz and Alexandrium sp. qd1 were grouped with high bootstrap values with four strains/species, i.e., A. catenella South Korea strain, A. catenella Japan strain, and two from China, Alexandrium sp. AC03 and Alexandrium sp. AN01 being proposed to be A. catenalla in a previous study. Then Alexandrium sp. gz and Alexandrium sp. qd1 were identified as Alexandrium catenella. As A. catenella was isolated from Qingdao and Guangzhou sea areas, it supposedly distributed at least in these two areas and was genetically different. Alexandrium sp. qd2 differed greatly from species in Alexandrium. It clustered with Symbiodinium californium, Symbiodinium sp. G15 and Gymnodinium sp. Zhao 01 with 100% bootstrap value; so Alexandrium sp. qd2 affiliates to genus Symbiodinium, and is probably a free-living Symbiodinium species.