Some Chemical and Zootoxicological Properties of Stingray Venom.

A series of studies on the in vitro neutralization of Urobatis halleri vonom with antivenins prepared against the bat stingray Myliobatis californicus and the round stingray U. castexi were carried out. The M. californicus antivenin provided little protection against the lethal activity of U. halleri venom. Only at 1.0 ml of antivenin per ml of venom was there any significant protection. The U. castexi gave some protection at the 0.20 level, the 0.50 level and the 1.00 level. At the last level the amount of venom required for the LD50 had increased threefold. It is apparent that there is some significant cross-protection between the antivenins of these two stingray species. Further immunochemical work is in progress on the venoms of four Urobatis species.