Dwarf puffers toxic????? If they die and somehow the body was chopped in half is the toxins released in the tank and if they are, how do you take it out?
Dwarf puffer, toxic?
- Thread starter isaac newton
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buy a new tank, you don't want to be messing with that stuff. It's the most powerful neurotoxin in the world that puffers have. I'm not entirely sure that dwarf puffers have it. I had my whole tank go around xmas, it could have been because someone killed one of my two dwarfs, but we'll never know =)
I think that total disposal is a bit extreme. I'd treat the tank with bleach, peroxide, or such and go on from there. I have had puffers kill one another in tanks without later problems with the tank or setup, even after Fugu puffers did in one another. The toxin is a protein, it can be denatured.
puffers toxin is nowhere near being the most toxic neurotoxin.
The toxin you are refering to is Tetradotoxin named after the puffer most notable for it, the tetraodon pufferfish.
A lethal dose of tetradotoxin in humans is about 2 µg/kg.
(thats two micrograms per kilogram)
The toxin you are refering to is Tetradotoxin named after the puffer most notable for it, the tetraodon pufferfish.
A lethal dose of tetradotoxin in humans is about 2 µg/kg.
(thats two micrograms per kilogram)
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Tetradotoxin/tetrodotoxin is one of the most potent natural neurotoxins. It does not just occur in puffers - it is the operative poison of the blue ringed octopus as well. It also occurs in other beasts. The FW puffers may tend to use saxitoxin, an anaologue. None of these is produced solely by the fish - they are micobial toxins retained by the fish, in at least some cases produced by embeded/hosted bacteria.
saxitoxin is even less deadly than Tetrodotoxin, a lethal dose is 5.7 µg/kg.
There are a few toxins that are far far more lethal than Tetrodotoxin, such as palytoxin or Batrachotoxins. batrachotoxin is 0.04 µg/kg. And less than 4 micrograms of palytoxin will kill a full grown human.
There are a few toxins that are far far more lethal than Tetrodotoxin, such as palytoxin or Batrachotoxins. batrachotoxin is 0.04 µg/kg. And less than 4 micrograms of palytoxin will kill a full grown human.
And just how does the ranking of the "top 10" neurotoxins contribute to the original question? The question is not on poison dart frogs but puffers. When you dealing with these levels of toxicty and have no clue as to which of the specific toxins, if any - as they are seasonal and affected by diet and time in captivity, a bit more pragmatic view and suggestions might just be of benefit.
I said most powerful neurotoxin (meaning in nature), because I wasn't sure if the south sea cone shell's toxin was the same or stronger. I know the man 'o war is pretty harsh too.
I wasent answering the original question. I was responding to the second post.
cdawson- the most powerful organic toxin in the world is palytoxin that is emitted from zooanthids.
cdawson- the most powerful organic toxin in the world is palytoxin that is emitted from zooanthids.
RTR
RTR, Since saxitoxin is not produced by the fish, im guessing that it must be obtained by bacteria in the wild. Am i correct? If so, in captivity, since there is no bacteria that the puffer can retain from ones enviroment, i am concluding that they are not toxic? Correct?
RTR, Since saxitoxin is not produced by the fish, im guessing that it must be obtained by bacteria in the wild. Am i correct? If so, in captivity, since there is no bacteria that the puffer can retain from ones enviroment, i am concluding that they are not toxic? Correct?