Studies on paralytic shellfish poison in coastal waters of Kyushu.

摘要

Paralytic shellfish poison (PSP) infestation to bivalves recently tends to spread to all over the world. In Japan, Alexandrium catenella and A. tamarense have been known to be main causative dinoflagellates for PSP-infestation to the bivalves but now a days, instead, Gymnodinium catenatum is going to be a new face as the causative agent for PSP in Kyushu district. This paper deals with the recent PSP-infestation and its causative organism (G. catenatum) in the coasts of Kyushu. In this connection, toxin components of G. catenatum, and toxin accumulation and depuration by shellfish have also been described as follows.