Geographic Variations in the Toxin Profile of the Xanthid Crab <i>Zosimus aeneus</i> in a Single Reef on Ishigaki Island, Okinawa, Japan
Toxic crabs of the family Xanthidae contain saxitoxins (STXs) and/or tetrodotoxin (TTX), but the toxin ratio differs depending on their habitat. In the present study, to clarify within reef variations in the toxin profile of xanthid crabs, we collected specimens of the toxic xanthid crab <i>Zo...
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MDPI AG
2021-11-01
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| Series: | Marine Drugs |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/19/12/670 |
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| author | Yuchengmin Zhang Hideto Tsutsui Nobuhiro Yamawaki Yasuhiro Morii Gregory N. Nishihara Shiro Itoi Osamu Arakawa Tomohiro Takatani |
| author_facet | Yuchengmin Zhang Hideto Tsutsui Nobuhiro Yamawaki Yasuhiro Morii Gregory N. Nishihara Shiro Itoi Osamu Arakawa Tomohiro Takatani |
| author_sort | Yuchengmin Zhang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Toxic crabs of the family Xanthidae contain saxitoxins (STXs) and/or tetrodotoxin (TTX), but the toxin ratio differs depending on their habitat. In the present study, to clarify within reef variations in the toxin profile of xanthid crabs, we collected specimens of the toxic xanthid crab <i>Zosimus aeneus</i> and their sampling location within a single reef (Yoshihara reef) on Ishigaki Island, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, in 2018 and 2019. The STXs/TTX content within the appendages and viscera or stomach contents of each specimen was determined by instrumental analyses. Our findings revealed the existence of three zones in Yoshihara reef; one in which many individuals accumulate extremely high concentrations of STXs (northwestern part of the reef; NW zone), another in which individuals generally have small amounts of TTX but little STXs (central part of the reef; CTR zone), and a third in which individuals generally exhibit intermediate characteristics (southeastern part of the reef; SE zone). Furthermore, light microscopic observations of the stomach contents of crab specimens collected from the NW and CTR zones revealed that ascidian spicules of the genus <i>Lissoclinum</i> were dominant in the NW zone, whereas those of the genus <i>Trididemnum</i> were dominant in the CTR zone. Although the toxicity of these ascidians is unknown, <i>Lissoclinum</i> ascidians are considered good candidate source organisms of STXs harbored by toxic xanthid crabs. |
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| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T03:41:04Z |
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| series | Marine Drugs |
| spelling | doaj.art-7413cef98ccc4ab996446f0f3af749942023-11-23T09:18:01ZengMDPI AGMarine Drugs1660-33972021-11-01191267010.3390/md19120670Geographic Variations in the Toxin Profile of the Xanthid Crab <i>Zosimus aeneus</i> in a Single Reef on Ishigaki Island, Okinawa, JapanYuchengmin Zhang0Hideto Tsutsui1Nobuhiro Yamawaki2Yasuhiro Morii3Gregory N. Nishihara4Shiro Itoi5Osamu Arakawa6Tomohiro Takatani7Graduate School of Fisheries and Environmental Sciences, Nagasaki University, Bunkyo-machi 1–14, Nagasaki 852-8521, JapanFaculty of Fisheries, Nagasaki University, Bunkyo-machi 1–14, Nagasaki 852-8521, JapanFaculty of Fisheries, Nagasaki University, Bunkyo-machi 1–14, Nagasaki 852-8521, JapanFaculty of Fisheries, Nagasaki University, Bunkyo-machi 1–14, Nagasaki 852-8521, JapanInstitute for East China Sea Research, Graduate School of Fisheries and Environmental Sciences, Organization for Marine Science and Technology, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki 851-2213, JapanDepartment of Marine Science and Resources, Nihon University, Fujisawa 252-0880, JapanGraduate School of Fisheries and Environmental Sciences, Nagasaki University, Bunkyo-machi 1–14, Nagasaki 852-8521, JapanGraduate School of Fisheries and Environmental Sciences, Nagasaki University, Bunkyo-machi 1–14, Nagasaki 852-8521, JapanToxic crabs of the family Xanthidae contain saxitoxins (STXs) and/or tetrodotoxin (TTX), but the toxin ratio differs depending on their habitat. In the present study, to clarify within reef variations in the toxin profile of xanthid crabs, we collected specimens of the toxic xanthid crab <i>Zosimus aeneus</i> and their sampling location within a single reef (Yoshihara reef) on Ishigaki Island, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, in 2018 and 2019. The STXs/TTX content within the appendages and viscera or stomach contents of each specimen was determined by instrumental analyses. Our findings revealed the existence of three zones in Yoshihara reef; one in which many individuals accumulate extremely high concentrations of STXs (northwestern part of the reef; NW zone), another in which individuals generally have small amounts of TTX but little STXs (central part of the reef; CTR zone), and a third in which individuals generally exhibit intermediate characteristics (southeastern part of the reef; SE zone). Furthermore, light microscopic observations of the stomach contents of crab specimens collected from the NW and CTR zones revealed that ascidian spicules of the genus <i>Lissoclinum</i> were dominant in the NW zone, whereas those of the genus <i>Trididemnum</i> were dominant in the CTR zone. Although the toxicity of these ascidians is unknown, <i>Lissoclinum</i> ascidians are considered good candidate source organisms of STXs harbored by toxic xanthid crabs.https://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/19/12/670paralytic shellfish toxintetrodotoxinxanthid crab<i>Zosimus aeneus</i>stomach contentmorphometric observation |
| spellingShingle | Yuchengmin Zhang Hideto Tsutsui Nobuhiro Yamawaki Yasuhiro Morii Gregory N. Nishihara Shiro Itoi Osamu Arakawa Tomohiro Takatani Geographic Variations in the Toxin Profile of the Xanthid Crab <i>Zosimus aeneus</i> in a Single Reef on Ishigaki Island, Okinawa, Japan Marine Drugs paralytic shellfish toxin tetrodotoxin xanthid crab <i>Zosimus aeneus</i> stomach content morphometric observation |
| title | Geographic Variations in the Toxin Profile of the Xanthid Crab <i>Zosimus aeneus</i> in a Single Reef on Ishigaki Island, Okinawa, Japan |
| title_full | Geographic Variations in the Toxin Profile of the Xanthid Crab <i>Zosimus aeneus</i> in a Single Reef on Ishigaki Island, Okinawa, Japan |
| title_fullStr | Geographic Variations in the Toxin Profile of the Xanthid Crab <i>Zosimus aeneus</i> in a Single Reef on Ishigaki Island, Okinawa, Japan |
| title_full_unstemmed | Geographic Variations in the Toxin Profile of the Xanthid Crab <i>Zosimus aeneus</i> in a Single Reef on Ishigaki Island, Okinawa, Japan |
| title_short | Geographic Variations in the Toxin Profile of the Xanthid Crab <i>Zosimus aeneus</i> in a Single Reef on Ishigaki Island, Okinawa, Japan |
| title_sort | geographic variations in the toxin profile of the xanthid crab i zosimus aeneus i in a single reef on ishigaki island okinawa japan |
| topic | paralytic shellfish toxin tetrodotoxin xanthid crab <i>Zosimus aeneus</i> stomach content morphometric observation |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/19/12/670 |
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