Isolation of zooxanthellatoxins, novel vasoconstrictive substances from the zooxanthella Symbiodinium sp. Toxicon 31, 371-376, 1993. New polyhydroxypolyenes with potent vasoconstrictive activity, zooxanthellatoxin-A and -B, were isolated from a symbiotic marine alga Symbiodinium sp. These compounds caused sustained contractions of isolated rabbit aorta at concentrations above 7 x 10(-7) M; this effect was abolished in Ca(2+)-free solution or in the presence of verapamil. Both compounds were relatively large molecules (mol. wt about 2900), containing a large number of oxygen atoms and olefinic carbons, thus differing from two other vasoconstrictive marine toxins, palytoxin and maitotoxin, in containing more olefins than palytoxin, and fewer ethereal rings than maitotoxin.