title: Death in the octopus' garden: fatal blue-lined octopus envenomations of adult green sea turtles.
abstract: The blue-lined octopusHapalochlaena fasciatacontains the powerful neuromuscular blocker tetrodotoxin (TTX), which causes muscle weakness and respiratory failure.H. fasciatais regarded as one of the most venomous marine animals in the world, and multiple human fatalities have been attributed to the octopus. To date, there have been no recorded incidents of an envenomation of a wild animal. Here, we present a newly developed, multi-stage tandem mass spectrometry technique that provides unequivocal evidence for two cases of envenomation of two ~110 kg herbivorous green sea turtles by two tiny cryptic blue-lined octopuses (~4 cm body length). These cases of accidental ingestion provide evidence for the first time of the antipredator effect of TTX and highlight a previously unconsidered threat to turtles grazing within seagrass beds.
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Moreton Bay Research Station, P.O. Box 138, Dunwich, QLD 4183 Australia.
authors.forename: Kathy A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Townsend
authors.affiliation: Independent Marine Biochemistry Research, Moreton Bay Research Station, P.O. Box 138, Dunwich, QLD 4183 Australia.
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Altvater
authors.affiliation: Independent Marine Biochemistry Research, Moreton Bay Research Station, P.O. Box 138, Dunwich, QLD 4183 Australia.
authors.forename: Michael C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Moreton Bay Research Station, P.O. Box 138, Dunwich, QLD 4183 Australia.
authors.forename: Qamar A
authors.initials: QA
authors.lastname: Schuyler
authors.affiliation: Independent Marine Biochemistry Research, Moreton Bay Research Station, P.O. Box 138, Dunwich, QLD 4183 Australia.
authors.forename: Geoffrey W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Nette