Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning
NRC researchers have helped determine why some clams are more resistant than others to paralytic shellfish poisoning. The condition is caused by toxins produced by the algae that cause red tides. Here, soft-shell clams have been paralysed by the effects of a red tide, leaving their feeding siphons extended (centre and right). Clam populations in areas with a history of red tides have a genetic mutation that makes them more resistant to the toxins. They thus accumulate higher toxin levels and take longer to detoxify after a red tide subsides. |
