Toxicity and toxic components of two xanthid crabs, Atergatis floridus and Demania reynaudi, in Taiwan.

Paralytic toxicity was detected by tetrodotoxin bioassay in eight specimens of Atergatis floridus and seven specimens of Demania reynaudi, collected from Taiwan in 1994. The toxicity of crab specimens was 161 +/- 115 (mean +/- S.D.) mouse units (MU) for A. floridus and 640 +/- 273 MU for D. reynaudi. The respective toxins were partially purified from specimens of A. floridus and D. reynaudi by ultrafiltration using a Diaflo YM-1 membrane, followed by chromatography on a Bio-Gel P-2 column. Electrophoresis, thin-layer chromatography, high-performance liquid chromatography, ultraviolet spectrum and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry indicated that the toxin of A. floridus was mainly composed of tetrodotoxin (85%), along with minor gonyautoxin 1-4 (15%), and the toxin of D. reynaudi was mainly composed of tetrodotoxin (88%), along with minor gonyautoxin 2-4 and neosaxitoxin (12%).