The selling and importing of puffer fish species and their products was banned 
in Thailand in 2002, because of possible neurotoxic effects. However, the sale 
of their flesh is still happening in Thai markets. Standard methods for toxin 
quantification (HPLC and LC-MS) have significant limitations, therefore a 
lateral flow, immuno-chromatographic test (TTX-IC) was developed as a tool for 
rapid detection of toxin. A total of 750 puffer fishes (387 Lagocephalus 
lunaris(LL), and 363 Lagocephalus spadiceus (LS)) and 100 edible fishes were 
caught in Thailand from June 2011-February 2012. Screening of TTX from their 
flesh by TTX-IC revealed that 69 samples (17.8%) of LL possessed TTX at 
dangerous levels but LS and edible fishes did not. A selected 339 samples were 
quantified by LC-MS/MS, showing 50 LL possessed TTX at dangerous levels. 
Comparison of results with LC-MS/MS showed the TTX-IC to have 94.0% sensitivity 
and 92.4% specificity. The TTX-IC will be a useful tool for TTX screening of a 
large number of samples, reducing the testing required by LC-MS/MS, thus 
reducing costs. All positive cases found should be confirmed by standard 
methods.