96 EIGHTH PACIFIC SCIENCE CONGRESS 



scientific names and then fresh samples are taken from the muscle, liver, 

 intestine, intestinal contents, and gonads for toxicological analysis. Tis- 

 sue extracts are prepared with the use of distilled water by homogeniza- 

 tion and centrifugation. Four samples of each tissue extract of 1 ml. 

 each are injected into four white mice (CCi strain) and observed for 

 36 hours for the development of toxic symptoms. Studies thus far 

 indicate that the poisonous fish population of the tropical Pacific is 

 much larger than was formerly believed. Toxic species, exclusive of 

 plectognaths (Puffers, triggerfish, boxfish, porcupinefish), have been 

 found to occur in the Pacific from the Galapagos Islands to the Phil- 

 ippines and Okinawa, and from Midway to Tahiti. The survey of Can- 

 ton demonstrated that about 27 per cent of the reef fishes (largely 

 from the lagoon) were toxic. The survey at Johnston Island indicated 

 that about 69 per cent of the lagoon fishes were toxic. The studies of 

 the other areas are in various stages of progress. 



The problem of poisonous fishes represents one of the greatly neg- 

 lected fields of medical and ichthyological research. Since fish poison- 

 ing, ichthyosarcotoxism, is not listed as one of the reportable diseases, 

 there are no accurate data as to its incidence. The existing confusion 

 and lack of precise data regarding the identity, geographic distribution 

 and biology of toxic fishes, and the nature of ichthyosarcotoxins, can 

 only result in hampering the economic development of the shore fish- 

 eries of the tropical Pacific. The fact that a fish species may be com- 

 mercially valuable in one locality and violently toxic in another can 

 be a major factor in outlawing otherwise valuable fishing grounds. A 

 classical example of this very situation is the current poisonous fish 

 problem in the Line Islands. On a number of occasions reef fishes such 

 as snapper, grouper, seabass, ulua, etc., have been shipped into the Ha- 

 waiian fish markets and there has resulted serious outbreaks of fish 

 poisoning. As a result of these epidemics all reef fishes from the Line 

 Islands are banned from the Hawaiian markets. Future world demands 

 for protein food sources will necessitate a more rigid control and effi- 

 cient utilization of the vast food reserves of the ocean. The problem of 

 poisonous marine organisms will become of increasing importance in 

 the years to come. 



UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-SCRIPPS INSTITUTION OF 

 OCEANOGRAPHY 



The Scripps Institution of Oceanography is divided for adminis- 

 trative purposes into several research divisions, with a number of sup- 

 porting activities. 



The research gi^oups are the Bathythermograph, Chemical Oceanog- 

 raphy, Marine Biochemistry, Marine Botany, Marine Invertebrates, 



