Sublethal Effects of Gar Icthyootoxin On the Crayfish Orconectes Virilis

Although it has been known for years that gar icthyootoxin is deadly to some animals, little is known about its mechanism, and nothing has been published on its sublethal effects.  We injected the crayfish Orconectes virilis with gar icthyootoxin homogenate and measured burst speed, righting response, and movement.  The dosed individuals took significantly longer to right themselves than the control group, but burst speed and movement after being treated were not statistically different.  Additionally, the LD₅₀ we observed was far higher than what has been reported in the literature for crayfish, leading us to believe that there is variation in toxicity among individual fish.