a powerful toxin that causes partial paralysis, sometimes found in shellfish that have fed on certain dinoflagellates (esp. genus Gonyaulax)
See saxitoxin in American Heritage Dictionary 4
(săkˌsĭ-tŏkˈsĭn)
noun
A potent neurotoxin produced by certain dinoflagellates that accumulates in shellfish feeding on these organisms and consequently causes food poisoning in humans who eat the shellfish.