STUDIES ON THE TOXINS OF THE PUFFERFISH IN THE NORTH WESTERN PART OF THE RED SEA

Abstract

There is a lack of information about the toxicity of pufferfishes generally in the Red Sea and especially in the Suez Gulf. Therefore this investigation throw light on two species of puffers which are Arothron hispidus and Arothron stellatus. Samples required for this study were supplied from about 40 fishing boat working in Suez Gulf. This becu­ ase of the scarcity of these fishes and they are prevented from catshing since they are reef fishes. Arothron hispidus was collected from Al-Ghardaqa during September and November, 1990 whereas Aro.thron stellatus was collected from nine places from Suez Gulf and the vicinity of Al-Ghardaqa. These are Gimsha, Ashrafi, Shokeir, Hammam Faeron, Abu-Darbah, Abu­ Rigm, El-Mersa, Zafarana and Abu-Zenima from November 1990 to May, 1991.

The results of toxicity were as follows:

1-Most of mucus samples of Arothron hispidus were toxic and the toxicity ranged between 19-216 MU/g whereas the mucus of Arothron stellatus was non toxic except for 7 samples which had toxic mucus. The toxicity of samples ranged between < 5- 171 MUjg. High toxicity score was recorded in males of both

the species except

November.