Abstract
Paralytic shellfish poison (PSP) infestation to bivalves due to toxic dinofllagate such as Alexandrium spp. has posed some serious problem on public health and fishery industry. Although their PSP infestation cannot be predicted completely, their PSP monitoring programs have been carried out to protect the consumer and the rear-farmer, from food poisoning and fishery damage, respectively, by the concerning prefectural agency. Therefore, three species of bivalves (mussel Mytilus edulis, hard clam Meretrix lamarckii, surf clam Pseudocardium sachalinensis) in Ibaraki were investigated on their toxicity and PSP composition, from 1990 to 1998 and for four successive years from 1993 to 1996 as well as in 1998, respectively. Further, in order to elucidate their toxification and detoxification mechanisms, the toxicity and PSP composition were investigated using anatomical parts of clams.
