Annelids toxicity

Marine Worms. (Platyhelminthes, Rynchocoela, Annelida, Sipunaelida.) A variety of species from worm phylla have been found to contain toxins. There are approximately 56,000 species of worms (14,000 annelids, 25,000 platyhelminthes, 15,000 nematodes, and 800 nemertines), and of these, most of the toxic species are found in the nemertines. The most well-known toxin is nereisotoxin which has been modified to form a very useful insecticide. 

The annelids include the bristle worms and blood worms in which toxicity is associated with bristle-like setae and/or biting jaws. In the order Polychaetae, toxicity is usually found in three genera (Chloeia, Eurythoe, Hemodice). The platyhelminthes are not associated with many cases of human toxicity. The only class of platyhelminthes in which toxicity can readily be found is in the Turbellaria. In the Rhynchocaela (ribbon worms), toxic species include Lineus sp. Some platyhelminthes (e.g., Planocera multitenta) have been found to contain tetrodotoxin 16). 

Of the 25 animal phyla, almost half are worms. Thus, it is not at all surprising that some worms contain toxins. The nemertines are a phylum of over 800 known species which resemble flatworms but are active predators on crustaceans and other worms. This phylum is exceptionally toxic among the various worm phyla. The Heteronemertine side possesses peptide toxins which appear to be only defensive, as these animals have no means of injecting a venom. The peptides include neurotoxins, which enhance excitability of nerve membranes, and cytolysins, which permeabilize and destroy cell membranes. Members of the Hoplonemertine class inject a venom into their prey using a mineralized stylet located in their proboscis, which is also used to immobilize the prey. Their toxins are alkaloids similar to nicotine which in minute amounts paralyze crustaceans and annelid worms and primarily activate nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Another well-known worm toxin is nereistoxin, a disulfide-containing alkaloid which also binds to nicotinic... 

ASTM. 1994. Standard guide for conducting acute, chronic, and life-cycle aquatic toxicity tests with polychaetous annelids. ASTM 1996 Annual Book of Standards Vol. 11.05, E1562-94. American Society for Testing and Materials, West Conshohocken, PA, pp. 979-998. 

American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) (1994c) Standard Guide for Conducting Acute, Chronic, and Life-cycle Aquatic Toxicity Tests with Polychaetous Annelids, E1562-1594. ASTM, Philadelphia. 

TOXICITY OF FOUR SPECIES OF ANNELID COLLECTED FROM THE SETO ISLAND SEA, JAPAN... 

C5H11NS2, Mr 149.27, odorless oil, bp. 212-213 °C. The 1,2-dithiolane N. occurs in the approximately 40 cm long marine annelid Lumbriconereis hetero-poda used by anglers as bait. It has long been known that insects such as ants or flies die after contact with the worm. N. was identified as the toxic principle. Injections of the neurotoxin cause myosis, an elevated tone in smooth muscles, lacrimation, and tremor, LD50 (mouse p.o.) 38 mg/kg, (rabbit s.c.) 180 mg/kg. As a result of its interesting activity, N. has been a lead structure for the synthesis of insecticides (e. g., Cartap, Pa-dane , which gets metabolized to N., or Bensultap, Bancol ). 

Roesijadi G, Anderson JW, Blaylock JW (1977) Uptake of hydrocarbons from marine sediments contaminated with Prudhoe Bay Crude Oil influence of feeding type of test species and availability of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. J Fish Res Board Can 35 608-614 Rossi SS (1977) Bioavailability of petroleum hydrocarbons from water, sediments and detritus to the marine annelid, Neanthes arenaceodentata. Proc. 1977 oil spill conference (Prevention, behaviour, control, cleanup) Washington DC, Am Petrol Inst, pp 621-626 Rossi SS, Anderson JW (1977) Accumulation and release of fuel-oil-derived diaromatic hydrocarbons by the polychaete Neanthes arenaceodentata. Mar Biol 39 51-55 Rossi SS, Anderson JW, Ward GS (1976) Toxicity of water-soluble fractions of four test oils for the polychaetous annelids, Neanthes arenaceodentata and Capitella capitata. Environ Pollut 10 9-18 Sanborn HR, Malins DC (1977) Toxicity and metabolism of naphthalene a study with marine larval invertebrates. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med 154 151-155 Sanborn HR, Malins DC (1980) The disposition of aromatic hydrocarbons in adult spot shrimp Pandalus platyceros) and the formation of metabolites of naphthalene in adult and larval spot shrimp. Xenobiotica 10 193-200... 

Compound W was isolated from a marine annelid commonly used in Japan as a fish bait, and it was shown to be the substance that gives this organism its observed toxicity to some insects that contact it. 

Sievers, A.M. 1969. Comparative toxicity of Gonyaulax monilata and Gymnodinium breve to annelids, crustaceans, molluscs, and a fish. J. Protozool. 16 401-404. 

Nemertines are carnivorous and feed on annelids, crustaceans, molluscs, and occasionally fish. Certain nemertines paralyze their prey by ejecting a tenacious toxic fluid from the proboscis. Cerebratulus lacteus has been found to contain several polypeptides which were believed to be used for defensive purposes, but not for predation. Blumenthal... 

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