Occurrence of potent toxins in the horseshoe crab Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda

Abstract

Lethality in mice of extracts of 388 specimens of the horseshoe crab C. rotundicauda collected in Thailand have been examined, and four crabs were found to be lethal. Two toxins, of which the major one is similar to saxitoxin, have been isolated from a highly toxic specimen.