• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.309-314
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• 2008

The toxicity of five species of puffer fish, Arothron firmamentum (Byeolbok), Lagocephalus gloveri (Heukmilbok), L. wheeleri (Eunmilbok), L. inermis (Minmilbok) and L. lunaris (Milbok), collected from fish markets in Korea, was determined using a mouse bioassay. In A. firmamentum, the proportion of toxic specimens containing >10 MU/g was 87.5% in the ovaries, and 10.0% in the skin; no toxicity was detected in the muscle, fin, liver, intestine and gallbladder using the mouse bioassay. The highest toxin levels were found to be 87 MU/g in the ovaries, and 13 MU/g in the skin. Toxic specimens containing >10 MU/g were not detected from samples taken from any of the organs in L. wheeleri and L. inermis. In L. gloveri, most specimens were found to be non-toxic, but toxin levels of 11-72 MU/g were detected from within the skin, fins, and intestines in one specimen. In L. lunaris, the proportion of toxic specimens was 50.0% in the ovaries, and 7.1% in the gallbladder; no toxicity was detected in the other organs by the mouse bioassay. The highest toxin levels were 75 MU/g in the ovaries, and 14 MU/g in the gallbladder. Therefore, the toxicities of edible muscle and skin in the five species of puffer fish marketed in Korea were found to be within acceptable levels for human consumption.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.682-689
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• 1994

Ninety-six specimens of nine puffer fishes landed at a fish market of Pusan, Korea were assayed for anatomical distribution of toxicity. The puffers, Lagocephalus gloveri ('geommilbog'), Fugu rubripes rubripes ('jajubog'), Fugu rubripes chinesis ('geomjajubog'), Lagocephalus wheeleri ('hinmilbog') and Arothron firmamentum ('byeolbog'), were shown to be nontoxic in muscle and skin. However, toxicities in skins of four specimens of Lagocephalus gloveri and a specimen of Arothron firmamentum were more than 10MU/g In the puffer, Fugu xanthopterus ('ggachibog'), the skin showed to be weakly toxic as far as nine specimens out of 27 ones are concerned, and the muscle was nontoxic in all specimens. Meanwhile, it was noted that the puffer, Fugu vermicularis radiatus was found to be a toxic species, differing from the toxicity known so far. Their highest toxicities were 3,880, 1,191, 1,115, 219, 289, 5,620 and 753MU/g for liver, intestine, skin, muscle, testis, ovary and bile, respectively.