Ichthyotoxin

Ichthyotoxins are compounds which are either toxic to fish or are toxins produced by fish. The toxins can be found in gar eggs and the eggs of several other species' roe.[1] It can also be found in some species of algae such as prymnesium parvum.[2] They include euglenophycin and prymnesins, made by algae and can cause large-scale fish deaths, and ostracitoxin made by boxfish.[2] Many toxin producing algal species can be found both in marine and fresh water environments when the algae is in bloom. The toxin is protein based and is poisonous to humans, small mammals, and some fish. An ichthyotoxic poisoning (in humans) can cause symptoms ranging in severity dependent on how much toxin was consumed. The symptoms of an ichthyotoxin poisoning can include headache, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, drop in blood pressure, and many others.[3]

Longnose Gar- a species of fish whose roe contains ichthyotoxins.

See also

References
  1. Ostrand, Kenneth G.; Thies, Monte L.; Hall, Darrell D.; Carpenter, Mark (1996). "Gar ichthyootoxin: Its effect on natural predators and the toxin's evolutionary function". The Southwestern Naturalist. 41 (4): 375–377. JSTOR 30055193.
  2. Andersen, Nikolaj (2012). "Ichthyotoxic algae and their effects on fish" (PDF).
  3. Jawad, Laith A (2018). Dangerous fishes of the Eastern and Southern Arabian Peninsula. Cham: Springer. ISBN 9783319579269.


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