Green toadfish Lagocephalus lunaris inhabits tropical and subtropical seas and 
contains high tetrodotoxin (TTX) levels in the muscle as well as liver and 
gonad. In 2008 to 2009, food poisoning due to ingesting L. lunais occurred in 
Western Japan. Five specimens of green toadfish caught in Kyushu coast, Japan, 
were analyzed for toxicity, toxins, and species identification. All five 
specimens were toxic by bioassay. Comparing the maximum toxicity in tissues, 
ovary contained the most toxin (1810 mouse unit [MU]/g), followed by liver 
(341 MU/g), muscle (135 MU/g), skin (79 MU/g), and intestine (72 MU/g). Liquid 
chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis revealed that TTX was the major toxin. 
Nucleotide sequence analysis of the 16S rRNA gene fragment of muscle 
mitochondrial DNA indicated that partial sequences of PCR products of four 
specimens were identical with that of L. lunaris. The sequence of one specimen 
was indistinguishable from that of the brown-backed toadfish Lagocephalus 
wheeleri, a nontoxic species.