LOS ANGELES, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Neurotoxin killed more dolphins and sea lions off the California coast on Saturday, rescuers said.

    Dead and dying marine mammals, believed to have been poisoned by a naturally occurring neurotoxin in the sea, turned up on the beaches in large numbres, said the rescuers.

    The toxin, domoic acid from blooms of algae, is believed responsible for the poisonings, and has also affected sea birds that eat fish.

    Peter Wallerstein of the Whale Rescue Team, said that in the past 10 days, his group has rescued 39 sea lions from Los Angeles beaches. All were either dead, comatose or suffering from seizures.

    Another six dolphins have been picked off the beach in the past six days, he said, adding that about 110 animals have been rescued this year.

    At this time of year, many pregnant sea lions, who give birth in June, are consuming the poison, resulting in aborted fetuses, Wallerstein said.

    "Their bite is 10 times greater than the bite of a Doberman pinscher, and their mouths are full of bacteria," Wallerstein said.

    If an animal can be rescued, they enter a rehabilitation program and can usually be released back into the sea after a couple of months, he said.

    Wallerstein warned that people who come across these sick animals on the beach should stay away, since they are wild animals that will bite if they feel threatened, he said.

    Between Monday and Friday, about 75 dead birds had been picked up along Orange County beaches between Dana Point and Seal Beach on the Southern California coast, said Lisa Birkle, director of the Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center.

    Astrid Schnitzer, research assistant professor at the University of Southern California, said the level of domoic acid, sometimes called "red tide," was high enough to be seen with the naked eye.

    Pollution is believed to exacerbate the effects of domoic acid, which attacks the central nervous system and causes lesions in the brain, Wallerstein said.

    Sick animals may be aggressive if approached by humans. Some also go back into the water and drown, Wallerstein said.

    The California Department of Health Services has issued a warning against eating sport-harvested shellfish, sardines, anchovies and sport-harvested or commercially caught lobster and crab in the affected areas.