Sterols and Fatty Acids of the Harmful Dinoflagellate Cochlodinium polykrikoides.

Sterol and fatty acid compositions were determined for Cochlodinium polykrikoides, a toxic, bloom-forming dinoflagellate of global significance. The major sterols were dinosterol (40% of total sterols), dihydrodinosterol (32%), and the rare 4α-methyl Δ(8(14)) sterol, amphisterol (23%). A minor sterol, 4α-methylergost-24(28)-enol was also detected (5.