Marine pufferfish contain tetrodotoxin (TTX), an extremely potent neurotoxin. All species of the genus Takifugu accumulate TTX in the liver and ovaries, although the tissue(s) in which it is localized can differ among species. TTX is the major defense strategy the pufferfish appears to use against predators. TTX is also used as a male-attracting pheromone during spawning. Here we demonstrate an additional (and unexpected) use of maternal TTX in the early larval stages of the Takifugu pufferfish. Predation experiments demonstrated that juveniles of all the species of fish used as predators ingested pufferfish larvae, but spat them out promptly. Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MSMS) analysis revealed that the pufferfish larvae contain a small quantity of TTX, which is not enough to be lethal to the predators. Immunohistochemical analysis with anti-TTX monoclonal antibody revealed that the TTX is primarily localized in the body surface of the larvae as a layer of protection. Our study showed the female parent of the Takifugu pufferfish vertically transfers TTX to the larvae through its accumulation in the ovaries, and subsequent localization on the body surface of the larvae.

A magnetically driven arc does not advance smoothly between parallel electrodes with edges. The anode spot stagnates on the anode surface when the arc column and cathode spot move forward. According to experimental results, when the arc column moves closer to the anode surface, or a high‐temperature gas comes into contact with the anode, a new anode spot appears and electrical breakdown occurs. Meanwhile, the original anode spot disappears. It is well known as the re‐strike phenomenon. Also, it can be observed using a bandpass filter (520 nm) that a large amount of Cu vapor is generated whenever a new anode spot appears. Because the Cu vapor considerably increases the arc's radiative emission and has a dissimilar effect on the gas's electrical conductivity at different concentrations, a three‐dimensional electromagnetic thermal fluid simulation program that considers the metal vapor from the electrodes is proposed in this paper. Based on the experimental figures, it is able to simulate the re‐strike process by controlling the electrical conductivity of the control volume at the anode surface. In addition, the physical properties of the arc plasma, the original anode spot area, and the re‐strike point area are analyzed, in order to elucidate the occurrence conditions of the re‐strike phenomenon. The results show that the arc form is affected by the electrode jets, which leads to an increase in the electric field density between the re‐strike point and the arc column, thereby causing the re‐strike phenomenon to occur. © 2020 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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