Local Variation of Txoicity and Toxin Composition in a Xanthid Crab Atergatis floridus

Abstract

Eughty-two specimens of a xanthid crab, “subesube-manjugani” Atergatis floridus were collected from four places on Ishigaki and Hachijo Islands, Miura Peninsula, etc., along with the Pescadores (Taiwan) in 1981 and 1982. Toxicity assays of paralytic shellfish poison showed that all of them were toxic and their toxicity scores widely differed depending upon the places of collection. Ishigaki specimens were most toxic, and the maximum toxicity of 9, 000MU/g recorded. Miura specimens were moderately toxic all the year round. Incidentally, the fertilized eggs from seven female specimens were also found to be toxic.
Electrophoretic analyses showed that the main toxins of the Ishigaki specimens were neo-saxitoxin and saxitoxin, whereas the Miura specimens lacked in neosaxitoxin.