New Zealand isolates ofVibrio anguillarumfrom water, sediments and healthy salmon were tested for their ability to grow under iron‐limiting conditions and to produce sidero‐phores. Their growth in the presence of the iron chelator ethylenediamine‐di(o‐hydroxyphenyl‐acetic acid) (EDDA) suggested they could withstand conditions of iron limitation, with a 200 μM EDDA MIC recorded for the majority of strains. A positive reaction in the chrome azurol sulphate assay after growth in a low iron‐containing medium, which was negated when the medium was supplemented with 10 μM iron, indicated they could produce siderophores. The siderophores were of the phenolate class and their biological activities indicated they were related to enterobactin.