Toxicities and distribution of tetrodotoxin in the tissues of puffer fish found in the coast of the Baja California Peninsula, Mexico

Abstract

Toxicities and tetrodotoxin distribution in tissues of five puffer fish species commonly found in the littoral of Baja California Peninsula, Mexico ( Sphoeroides annulatus, S. lobatus, S. lispus, Arothron meleagris and Canthigaster punctatissima) were evaluated by bioassay and HPLC. The toxicities estimated as tetrodotoxin-equivalents of all species were more than 0.42 μg/g in at least one of the tissues tested, and the highest was found in S. lispus liver (130 μg/g).