Abstract
The Alexandrium spp. resting cysts were found abundantly in faecal pellets collected from the bottom sediments at two stations in Hiroshima Bay. It is considered that these faecal pellets were excreted by the macrobenthos, such as polychaeta and mollusca, based on their size and morphology. Polychaeta was the most dominant macrobenthos, and mollusca was the second most dominant group in Hiroshima Bay. The resting cysts of Alexandrium spp. in the bottom sediments at the two stations were counted in both the faecal pellets of macrobenthos and in the surrounding sediment. As a result, the number of cysts in the faecal pellets accounted for 28.9–35.2% of total cysts. In addition, cysts isolated from faecal pellets had almost the same germination ability as those in the sediment. Thus, Alexandrium cysts are tolerant to the predation and digestive processes of macrobenthic organisms.
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