10.1016/0967-0653(95)90104-7

Abstract

The food chain hypothesis for the transfer of ciguatoxins (CTX) to carnivorous fish has gained widespread acceptance.'This study was undertaken to determine the vector(s) transferring gambiertoxins to the often ciguateric blotched javelin fish (Pemadasys maculatus) in Platypus Bay, Queensland.P. maculatus is a benthic camivore which in Platypus Bay was found to feed predominantly on small shrimps and crabs that live amongst Cladophora sp. that also harbours Gambjierdiscus toxicus.Of the potential prey of P, maculatus in Platypus Bay, only the shrimps (mostly A/phens sp.) contained detectable levels of ciguatoxin-like toxins, implicating shrimps as an important vector in the transfer of gambiertoxins to carnivorous fish, Any toxic effects of G. toxicus on shrimps may facilitate the selective feeding of fish on shrimps containing the highest toxin levels, Sich selective feeding provides a mechanism for the funnelling of toxins from G. toxicus to P. maculatus.It remains to be established if shrimps are capable of biotransforming the gambiertoxins to ciguatoxins or whether biotransformation of the gambiertoxins is accomplished exclusively hy fish, Given that P. maculatus is at mes highly toxic, and within a year can be non-toxic, it is likely that the gambiertoxins enter the food chain as intense bursts that perhaps last for only several weeks.Depuration and/or detoxification are likely to account for the apparent rapid loss of gambiertoxins and ciguatoxins from shrimps, crabs and P, maculatus,