US EPA

1230101 

Journal Article 

Paralytic Toxins in Four Species of Coral Reef Crabs from Kenting National Park in Southern Taiwan 

Tsai, YH; Ho, PH; Hwang, CC; Hwang, PA; Hwang, JH; Hwang, DF 

2005 

0 

Taiwan Shuichan Xuehui Kan
ISSN: 0379-4180 

Taiwan Fisheries Research Institute, 199 Hou-Ih Road Keelung 202 Taiwan Republic of China 

32 

1 (Mar 2005) 

113. 

Paralytic toxicity was detected by tetrodotoxin (TTX) bioassay in 41 specimens of four species of coral reef crabs collected from Kenting National Park, southern Taiwan from January 2003 to March 2004. The frequency of toxicity in Zosimus aeneus, Xanthias lividus, Actaeodes tomentosus (Xanthidae family) and Camposcia retusa (Majidae family) specimens was 93.3, 100, 46.7 and 66.7%, respectively. The average toxicity of crab specimens was 483 plus or minus 225 (mean plus or minus S.D.) mouse units (MU) for Z. aeneus, 51 plus or minus 32 MU for X. lividus, 6 plus or minus 5 MU for A. tomentosus, and 18 plus or minus 11 MU for C. retusa. Each toxin of four species of crabs was extracted with acidic methanol, cleansed using a C18 solid-phase extraction (SPE) column, filtered through a microcentrifuge filter and analyzed by HPLC, LC-MS and GC-MS. The toxins of Z. aeneus and X. lividus contained TTX (90%) and a small amount of gonyautoxins (GTXs) (10%), whereas those of A. tomentosus and C. retusa all mainly contained TTX, but no PSP (paralytic shellfish poison). Except for Z. aeneus and X. lividus, two species A. tomentosus and C. retusa were first recorded as toxic in Taiwan. 

ISEW, Taiwan, Hengchun Peninsula, Kenting Natl. Park; Bioassays; Retusa; Molecular structure; Xanthia; Filters; Xanthias lividus; Decapoda; Marine crustaceans; Xanthidae; Toxicants; Actaeodes tomentosus; Methanol; National parks; Fisheries; Zosimus aeneus; Biological poisons; Tetrodotoxin; Marine; Toxins; Coral reefs; High-performance liquid chromatography; Camposcia retusa; gonyautoxin; Toxicity; Majidae