Toxigenic saprophytic fungi in marine shellfish farming areas

Toxigenic saprophytic fungi were isolated from samples of shellfish, sedime nt and seawater obtained from marine shellfish farming areas. The 456 strai ns identified included 12 different genera, with a clear predominance (68%) of Penicillium, Aspergillus, Trichoderma and Cladosporium. To assess the r isk of poisoning due to the presence of these fungi in shellfish farming ar eas, the strains were cultured in liquid medium, filtered, and tested on la rvae of Artemia salina, a small crustacean highly sensitive to mycotoxins. Thirty-five point five percent of the strains proved active with this test. This study confirms the existence of fungi in shellfish farming areas, as suggested by our earlier work showing that filter-feeding shellfish accumul ate toxic metabolites of fungal origin. The presence of fungi in the marine environment represents a real risk of poisoning through the consumption of contaminated shellfish.