The LAR-1 strain was isolated from sediment samples collected at the intersection of A-Shi River and Songhwa River, China with high iron-reducing capability. Biochemical tests (API 20A, API-20NE and API-ZYM), fatty acids analysis, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) tests revealed that LAR-1 is closely related to Citrobacter sp. The LAR-1 was used as anode chamber seed to start up microbial fuel cell (MFC). The tested MFC had an open-circuit voltage of 610 mV and a maximum power density of 610 mW/m(2) at 360 mV. The analytical results confirmed that the iron reducing bacterium can be used as anodic respiratory bacterium for MFC. Copyright (C) 2015, Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.