Toxin Accumulation, Distribution, and Sources of Toxic Xanthid Crabs

Abstract

Several species of crabs from the Xanthidae family are recognized as dangerous marine organisms due to their potent neurotoxins, including paralytic shellfish toxin (PST), tetrodotoxin (TTX), and palytoxin (PLTX). However, the mechanisms of toxin accumulation and transport and the origin of these toxins in toxic xanthid crabs remain unknown. The identification of toxic crab species, their toxicity and toxin composition, and toxin profiles have been studied thus far. To date, more than ten species of xanthid crabs have been confirmed to possess toxins. Recently, several new studies on crabs, including the geographic distribution of toxin profiles and the ecological role of crabs, have been reported. Therefore, this review provides a summary of global research on toxic xanthid crabs, containing new findings and hypotheses on the toxification in and the origins of these crabs. Furthermore, the challenges and future perspectives in this field are also discussed.