title: Seasonal changes in the tetrodotoxin content of the pufferfish Takifugu niphobles.
abstract: To investigate seasonal changes in the whole body content and tissue distribution of tetrodotoxin (TTX) in the pufferfish Takifugu niphobles, wild individuals were collected from the coastal waters around Miura Peninsula from November 2010 to May 2012, and their tissues were subjected to LC-MS/MS analysis. Fish that were sexually mature were classified as being in the maturation period (April), the spawning period (May-July) or the "ordinary period" (i.e., other months). In both sexes, gonad somatic index rapidly increased during the maturation period and then decreased during the spawning period. Whole body TTX content was significantly higher during the maturation/spawning period than in the ordinary period. Through all seasons, TTX was localized in the skin or ovary in females and in the skin or liver in males: the difference in TTX localization between females and males was particularly evident during the spawning period.
authors.affiliation: Department of Marine Science and Resources, Nihon University, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 252-0880, Japan. Electronic address: sitoi@nihon-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Shiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Itoi
authors.affiliation: Department of Marine Science and Resources, Nihon University, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 252-0880, Japan.
authors.forename: Kento
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ishizuka
authors.affiliation: Department of Marine Science and Resources, Nihon University, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 252-0880, Japan.
authors.forename: Ryoko
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mitsuoka
authors.affiliation: Department of Marine Science and Resources, Nihon University, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 252-0880, Japan.
authors.forename: Narumi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Takimoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Marine Science and Resources, Nihon University, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 252-0880, Japan.
authors.forename: Naoto
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yokoyama
authors.affiliation: Department of Marine Science and Resources, Nihon University, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 252-0880, Japan.
authors.forename: Ayumi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Detake
authors.affiliation: Department of Marine Science and Resources, Nihon University, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 252-0880, Japan.
authors.forename: Chie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Takayanagi
authors.affiliation: Department of Marine Science and Resources, Nihon University, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 252-0880, Japan.
authors.forename: Saori
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yoshikawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Marine Science and Resources, Nihon University, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 252-0880, Japan.
authors.forename: Haruo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sugita
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid; D005260:Female; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D010053:Ovary / Q000378:metabolism; D012621:Seasons; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal; D012741:Sexual Maturation; D012867:Skin / Q000378:metabolism; D023741:Takifugu / Q000378:metabolism*; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry; D013779:Tetrodotoxin / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D013779:Tetrodotoxin
keywords: Pufferfish; Takifugu niphobles; Tetrodotoxin