Toxicity and toxin profiles of xanthid crabs collected around nakanoshima, the Tokara Islands, Japan

Abstract

A total of 36 specimens of 5 xanthid crab species, Zosimus aeneus (n = 16), Xanthias lividus (n = 4), Leptodius sanguineus (n=3), Daira perlata (n = 10) and Eriphia sebana (n=3), were collected around Nakanoshima Island, whichi is located at the northeastern part of the Tokara Islands, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan in May and July 2000, and their toxicity was determined by mouse bioassay. Nine of 16 Z. aeneus specimens and all of 4 X. lividus specimens showed lethal potency to mice (2.1-11 MU/g, 2.8-8.6 MU/g, respectively), whereas all the other species were non-toxic (less than 2.0 MU/g). LC/MS analyses indicated that the toxin of the Z. aeneus specimens was mainly composed of tetrodotoxin (41% of total toxicity), and 11-oxotetrodotoxin contributed to the remaining toxicity. The toxin of the X. lividus specimens, however, was apparently not tetrodotoxin. In HPLC-FLD analyses, no paralytic shellfish poison component was detected in either of the two toxic species.