TOXICITY OF SUBTROPICAL MARINE ALGAE USING FISH MORTALITY AND RED BLOOD CELL HEMOLYSIS FOR BIOASSAYS.

Two bioassays (fish mortality and fish erythrocyte hemolysis) were used to survey for the presence of toxic principles in aqueous extracts of 19 species of marine macroalgae found in south Florida coastal waters. Extracts from six species (Chlorophyta -- Anadyomene stellata (Wulfen) C. Ag., Caulerpa prolifera (Forsskaål) Lamour.,. Penicillus capitatus Lamarck: Rhodophyta --Centrocer-as clavulatum (C. Ag.) Montagne, Laurencia papillosa (Forsskaål) Grev., L. poitel (Lamour.) Howe) showed lethal toxicity to the spotfin majarra. Euconistomus argenteus Baird & Girard. Extracts from three species (Chlorophyta -- A. stellata: Phacophyta -- Dictyota dichotoma (Hudson) Lamour Rhodophyta -- Wrangelia penicillata C. Ag.) lysed erythrocytes of sea bream, Archosargus rhomboidalis (L.). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]