rubripes larvae ( Supplementary data, Table S1). Juveniles of Parablennius yatabei, Girella punctata, Chaenogobius annularis, Hypodytes rubripinnis, Omobranchus

elegans and Tridentiger trigonocephalus were collected from tidal pools in Enoshima Island (35°17′N, 139°28′E), and used as the predators against T. niphobles larvae ( Supplementary data, Table S1). Juveniles of G. punctata were collected from tidal pools in Tanoura inlet (34°39′N, 138°58′E), and used as predators against T. niphobles eggs ( Supplementarydata, Table S1). Adult Artemia and medaka larvae cultured in laboratory aquariums were used as negative control for the prey. Approximately 60–100 specimens of pufferfish larvae were pooled and the TTX was extracted from specimens with 0.1% acetic acid. Referring to a

click here protocol (Shinno et al., 2007), quantification of TTX was performed using a Quattro Premier XE (Waters, Milford, MA, USA) equipped with an electrospray ionization (ESI) source coupled to an Acquity UPLC system (Waters). Chromatographic separation was achieved using an Atlantis HILIC Silica column (2.1 × 150 mm, 5 μm; Waters), coupled to an Atlantis HILIC Silica pre-column SP600125 clinical trial (2.1 × 10 mm, 5 μm; Waters). The mass spectrometer was operated in MRM, detecting in positive mode, analyzing two product ions at m/z 162 for quantification of TTX and m/z 302 for confirmation of the compound from the precursor ion at m/z 320. Whole pufferfish larvae were fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde and embedded in paraffin, followed by sectioning, as described previously (Itoi et al., 2012). Sections were incubated with anti-TTX monoclonal antibody (Mouse IgG2a-κ, Nacalai Tesque inc., Kyoto, Japan), followed by reaction with fluorescent Methane monooxygenase labeled secondary antibody (goat anti-mouse IgG2a (γ2a), Invitrogen, OR, USA). Observation of immunoreactivity image stitching was done with a BZ-9000 HS all-in-one fluorescence microscope (Keyence, Osaka, Japan). Sections were also treated with mouse IgG as negative controls instead of the primary antibody. Difference in responses

of predators (expelling vs swallowing) to TTX-bearing fish (pufferfish) and to non-toxic organisms (medaka and Artemia) was tested by the Pearson’s Chi-square test with Yates’ continuity correction using the statistical program called R, and the significant difference between groups was found (df = 1, chi-square = 110.0298, P < 0.0001). The data of H. rubripinnis, O. elegans and T. trigonocephalus used as predator species were removed from statistical analysis, because a specimen was collected in each species. In the predation experiments 0–4 dph T. rubripes larvae were used as the prey and juvenile Japanese flounder P. olivaceus and sea bass Lateolabrax sp. as predators. Both species of predators ingested the pufferfish larvae but spat them out immediately ( Fig. 1, Table 1; Supplementary data, Table S1).