An extract will be made from a piece of the fish's muscle tissue. This extract will be tested for the presence of ciguatoxin via a cell bioassay. If the toxin is present, than the rest of the fish will be extracted for ciguatoxin, and used for structural determination and antibody development.
1) Improve upon the current method of ciguatera detection and develop a rapid diagnostic test for the toxin.
2) Survey for ciguatera presence by using both a representative carnivore and herbivore.
3) Compare the structure from the toxin isolated from a carnivore and herbivore and to the toxin structure isolated from the dinoflagellate producing it.
4) Determine if the toxin is modified or not as it is passed up the food chain.
5) Discover if we have a ciguatoxin compound that is unique to the Hawaiian archipelago.
The Center for Oceans and Human Health at the University of Hawai‘i.
Click here to see if your fish tested positive or not, and where ciguateric fish were caught.