Potency of pinnatoxins produced by dinoflagellates isolated from New Zealand and South Australia

Vulcanodinium rugosum., the scrippsielloid dinoflagellate producer of pinnatoxins, was isolated from surface sediments collected from Northland, New Zealand, in summer 2008/2009. The dinoflagellate was isolated and cultured predominantly in cyst form, with the New Zealand isolates producing pinnatoxins E and F and Australian isolates predominantly G and less E and F. V. rugosum killed sea urchin and paua larvae and caused morbitity in sea slug larvae; Pacific oyster and Artemia salina larvae became slightly moribund. GreenshellTM mussel larvae were unaffected. Depuration rates of 50% of pinnatoxin E and F from Pacific oysters were 14.5 and 16 d respectively. Crude extracts of mass cultures of the New Zealand and Australian isolates tested for toxicity in mice by intraperitoneal injection, gavage and voluntary consumption resulted in toxicity ratios of 1.0: 1.8: 4.5 and 1.0: 2.9: 7.8 respectively.