The Gastropods Possessing TTX and/or PSP

Paralytic gastropod poisoning incidents have frequently occurred in the world. In the outbreaks, the symptoms of victims exhibited quite different patterns depending on the specific outbreak and most of all showed parasthesis with rare fatal cases. The toxin identified was mainly tetrodotoxin (TTX), sometimes with minor paralytic shellfish poison (PSP) and other toxins. Toxic gastropods included Family Nassariidae, Naticidae, Olividae, Muricidae, Buccinidae, Ranellidae, Harpidae, Trochidae, Turbinidae, Burdidae, and Melongenidae. The sources of toxins are from bacteria, dinoflagellate, or biosynthesis. The physiological function of toxin in toxic gastropods acts as defensive and/or attacking agent. The more toxic gastropod has higher preference or palatability preference to TTX and/or PSP.