… sea cucumbers, might also be affected.
But, not all shellfish react the same way. Mussels, for example, are able to rid themselves of the toxin within a few weeks, while domoic acid may linger in clams for several months, even up to a year.) Those delicious Dungeness crabs have a taste for clams, which is where domoic acid can be passed up the food chain to us humans.
Officials are able to test for unsafe levels, keeping tainted seafood out of restaurants and away from seafood counters, but many people go get fresh seafood from farmers markets and other places close to shares that have not been tested. Also, with the number of shellfish affected, it can vastly rise the price of your crab or lobster dinner.
Crab feed on other shellfish, so crab gut can contain unsafe domoic levels, although the toxin is not known to accumulate in crab meat. To be safe, clean crab thoroughly, removing all butter (the white-yellow fat inside the back of the shell), and discard the gut.
If you have digested this toxin, early symptoms include tingling of the lips and tongue, which may begin within minutes of eating toxic shellfish or may take an hour or two to develop. Symptoms may progress to tingling of fingers and toes and then loss of control of arms and legs, followed by difficulty in breathing. Some people feel nauseous or experience a sense of floating. If a person consumes enough toxin, muscles of the chest and abdomen become paralyzed, including muscles used for breathing, and the victim can suffocate.
Before harvesting any kind of shellfish yourself, check our shellfish safety mapping site here, or call the Marine Biotoxin Hotline at 1-800-562-5632 to find out what