Many types of marine algal toxins induce marked hypothermic responses in mice. However, it is not known if the thermoregulatory response to these toxins results from dysfunction in the control of core temperature (Tc) or is a coordinated response to lower Tc as occurs with a variety of xenobiotic insults. Female CD-1 mice were administered purified maitotoxin (338 ng/kg; IP) and placed in a temperature gradient for 5 h that permitted the selection of ambient temperatures (Ta) ranging between 15 and 37 degrees C. Tc was monitored simultaneously by radiotelemetric probes that were surgically implanted into the abdominal cavity at least one week before maitotoxin injection. Maitotoxin led to a rapid reduction in Tc from 37 to 34 degrees C within 30 min after injection. There was a simultaneous 4 degrees C reduction in Ta selected by mice within 15 min after injection. Selected Ta recovered rapidly, increased above baseline for approximately one hour, then remained near baseline levels for the remainder of the test period in the gradient. Tc remained approximately 1 to 2 degrees C below control levels throughout the test period. In the temperature gradient, mice can select Ta's warm enough to offset the hypothermic effects of maitotoxin. That cooler Ta's are selected initially after maitotoxin injection suggest that the central neural control of body temperature is affected by the toxin. We postulate that the hypothermic response may represent an adaptive response to enhance survival following exposure to polyether toxins.