Quote:
Originally Posted by cubanoperdido
hey boys (& girls i suppose)
parrotfish....different kinds, but i think they all eat coral, yes?? i went with a local in cape green an he nailed a couple of parrots...took the liver and sauteed it with some oil, then boiled the fish and put some rice all together, damn good! but i ate it thinkin bout "siguatera" (not sure if thats spanish or english), its a problem you can get from eatin fish that eat coral, or even eating fish that eat fish that eat coral, like barracudas. i'm weary of them, but maybe its ignorance on my part. anyone know about this stuff? i even ate a couple of monster triggers there (an kept my fingers crossed), but never had no problem.... anyone know bout this?
happy huntin..
z-ya
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Yeah, we have a pretty big problem with ciguatera in hawaii too. I havnt heard of too many cases from parrot fish(uhu) though. Usually it comes from the fish that eat the algae off of the reef e.g. Kole(gold ring sergeon fish) and then like you said bigger predators, Ulua(giant travalle),Kahala(Amber jack),Roi(peacock grouper), sometimes even Uku(green jobfish) though I try not to think of the later!
They do sell a kit that you can test your fish with. Its called the cigua-check. Its not that cheep and doesnt have much of a shelf life so alot of fishing/dive shops dont stock it. You can order them online but even still I hear that they are not that accurate. Its easy to get false posotives.
Here are a couple of quotes from an article in the last issue of Hawaii Skin Diver.
"Ciguatoxins are neorotoxins that act on nerves and muscles and can cause a wide range of gastrological, neurological, and cardiac disorders. It is a hardy toxin that in that it has no odor, taste or color to make it obvious to the potential consumer.
"Ciguatoxin is produced by a type of algae called Gambierdiscus toxicus"
"This microbe lives epiphytically on macroalgae that grow on the reef. When herbiveorous fish graze the reef, they can ingest [the toxin], and the fish absorb it into their bodies. As carnivorous fish consume the herbivores, the toxin is magnified as it is passed up the food chain until it reaches humans."
"The general onset of symtpoms occurs within 1 to 24 hours, though it could be as early as 30 minutes, or as late as 48 hours. Gastrological symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain, and are exhibited more than 50% of the time. Often, but not always, neurological disorders follow the gastrological symtoms, and may include a tingly sensation in the lips, hands and feet. A classic sign of ciguatera poiconing is the perception of temperature reversal in things you touch, i.e., hot feels cold and cold feels hot. When touching something cold, you may fees a burning or itching sensation in your finger tips. Muscle, joint, or tooth aches are possible, as well as fatigue and/or anxiety. In severe cases, hypotension with bradycardia, respiratory difficulties and paralysis can occur. Death from ciguatoxin is very uncommon."
They also note that some "areas" of reef are more toxic than others.
"Typically 10-15% of the "usual suspects" (namely jacks, surgeonfish, groupers, snappers, and wrasses) will be ciguateric."
(Hawaii Skin Diver,
Ciguatera in Hawaii by Suzanne Defelice+Paul Bienfang+Mike Lameier)
Hope this doesnt turn you off at all. I would just talk to the local fisherman and see which areas are more toxic. Stay away from certain fish known to have it. Thats what I do, I havnt had it yet and Ive been eating reef fish in Hawaii for 20 years!(knock on wood!!)
Aloha
Jake
