| Title: | Behavioral and chemical ecology of marine organisms with respect to tetrodotoxin |
| Address: | "Department of Biology, MSC 3AF, New Mexico State University, PO Box 30001, Las Cruces, New Mexico 88003-8001, USA. toxwilliams@gmail.com" |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1660-3397 (Electronic) 1660-3397 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "The behavioral and chemical ecology of marine organisms that possess tetrodotoxin (TTX) has not been comprehensively reviewed in one work to date. The evidence for TTX as an antipredator defense, as venom, as a sex pheromone, and as an attractant for TTX-sequestering organisms is discussed. Little is known about the adaptive value of TTX in microbial producers; thus, I focus on what is known about metazoans that are purported to accumulate TTX through diet or symbioses. Much of what has been proposed is inferred based on the anatomical distribution of TTX. Direct empirical tests of these hypotheses are absent in most cases" |
| Keywords: | "Animal Communication Animals Bacteria Behavior, Animal/drug effects/*physiology *Ecology Marine Biology Tetrodotoxin/*metabolism/toxicity defense ecology pheromone tetrodotoxin venom;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineWilliams, Becky L eng Review Switzerland 2010/04/23 Mar Drugs. 2010 Feb 26; 8(3):381-98. doi: 10.3390/md8030381" |
