An internal standard quantitative method of tetrodotoxin by capillary elect
rophoresis was developed, ephedrine hydrochloride being chosen as the inter
nal standard of tetrodotoxin. The calibration curve was built with the cell
-elation coefficient of 0.9997, and the linear range was from 0.01 mg.ml(-1
) to 10.0 mg.ml(-1) with the detection limit of 1.0 x 10(-3) mg.ml(-1). RSD
of the migration time of ephedrine hydrochloride and tehrodotoxin were all
less than 1.0 %. The method was applied to determine tetrodotoxin in the p
oisonous frilled fish samples.