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Poisonous Fish of the South Pacific Certain Species of Tropical Fish Are Well-Known As Being Dangerous to Eat

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Poisonous Fish of the South Pacific Certain Species of Tropical Fish Are Well-Known As Being Dangerous to Eat Poisonous Fish of the South Pacific Certain species of tropical fish are well-known as being dangerous to eat. Others, however, are poisonous only if eaten at certain periods, or if taken from certain localities. As there is no rule to determine either, or simple test to reveal toxicity, fish poisoning is common in the tropics. The problem is surveyed below by the author, who urges further re­ search to determine causes and cures. By GUY LOISON* A varied catch, taken in reef waters of New Caledonia. A, "loche saumonee", or sea bass; B, butterfly fish; C, parrot fish; D, porcupine fish; E, "big-lips". Of these, the porcupine fish is un­ doubtedly poisonous. "But", asks the author, "can the others be eaten without danger?" them use the well-known silver coin method as country folk still do in Europe when cooking mushrooms. We could hardly expect them to take ex­ tracts by the alcohol method for intra­ peritoneal injection to mice, but they might, however, make use of "gusta- tores" such as, for example, their cats and dogs. The islanders also claim: "If there are living worms inside the stomach of the fish it is safe," and "Do not eat an HpHE idea of writing this article for the out the year; very often the period when animal if your hands itch or feel in­ Bulletin originated after a bout of the coral is "in flower" is considered flamed when you clean its flesh." fish poisoning: I had eaten a "loche dangerous. The influence of the moon I have witnessed an empiric test used saumonee" (Plectropomus maculatus) is also suggested—not without founda­ in New Caledonia which consists of caught while spearfishing, and it had tion, since it has been proven scientifi­ placing the liver of the fish on an ant­ been cleaned and cooked the very same cally as regards the toxicity of medicinal hill. If the ants run away, the fish day. herbs, for instance. should not be eaten. The aim of this article, however, is Moreover, a particular rock of coral, It is a current opinion among fisher­ not so much to recount my own mis­ bed of algae, or sandy hollow in the men that big fish or deepsea fish are fortunes as to encourage readers to in­ same lagoon may be reputed to be con­ more poisonous than smaller ones or form the Commission of similar cases taminated to a higher degree than the those caught in lagoons. In parts of which no doubt frequently occur in vari­ rest. In New Caledonia fish poisoning the Marshalls, they say, the only poison­ ous South Pacific territories. is common at Canala (on the east coast) ous fish are those found in the passes. I have often attended to patients com­ but seldom happens at La Foa (on the The tail end is often considered less toxic plaining of skin, digestive or nervous west). than the head or middle of the body; the troubles which they attributed, often It takes an experienced fisherman to poisonous substances circulate in the with rather too much readiness, to state with assurance: "Don't eat such- blood (their presence was proved as having eaten a fish of dubious quality and-such a fish caught at a particular early as the last century in eels, conger- the previous day. The remnants had been place on such-and-such a day." And eels and moray eels) and when the fish thrown away, thus making identification even the cleverest are sometimes caught. is caught, bleeding occurs most freely at impossible. the head end. In Hawaii, the brain of The islanders say they can tell the surmullet (its flesh was considered Several obstacles are encountered in whether a fish is poisonous or not by its colour, the appearance of its gills or making an epidemiological survey. The * Dr. Loison is Research Officer for Health to same species is not poisonous through­ the bitter taste of the liver. Some of the South Pacific Commission. Page 28 SPC QUARTERLY BULLETIN, OCTOBER, 1955 a delicacy by the Romans) is said to You will perhaps consider my illness been easier to write an article on fish cause mental disturbance and delirium. lasted a very long time, and that, being reputed to be non-poisonous. Once the fish is dead, the toxins con­ a doctor, I might have followed some At the beginning of the century, in tained in the viscera spread rapidly more drastic treatment. In fact, I did American Samoa, Mymea, Taiva Uliuli, through the adjacent flesh. The flesh what everybody else does in the South Filoa, Ataata, Algo, file fish and Sue itself then becomes pathogenic. Pacific: I drank, with no firm convic­ (swell-fish) were declared harmful. tion, quarts of an infusion of "itch Since then, Mu, Saosao, Vaola, Maoae Warm-blooded animals are particu­ herb" (Messerschmidia argentea, Linne). and Ugavau have been added. More­ larly liable to be affected by absorbing Those of my readers who live in the over, any fish which eats the Ana alga this flesh, whereas fish, crabs and sea is said to become poisonous. From Octo­ snakes feed on it with impunity. Farm­ Pacific will have learnt nothing new from my story. Such cases, indeed, are ber to November, during the season yard poultry, fed on the left-overs, die by when palolo (the milt of Eunice viridis, the dozen. common in all the territories. The first and most famous European an annelid) is abundant, cases of fish Biologists use rats and mice for poisoning also appear to be numerous, laboratory experiment. Loss of hair is to suffer from fish poisoning through eating swell-fish in New Caledonia was although palolo itself is eaten in quan­ a frequent symptom in cats and dogs and tity without ill effect. has also been observed in humans. In­ Captain Cook himself, during his second deed, fish poisoning can cause disturb­ voyage of exploration in 1774. The ex­ During the war, 400 Japanese died in ances of varying gravity. I remember cellent description he gave of his symp­ Micronesia from eating poisonous fish. one Sunday in New Caledonia (Satur­ toms is worth reading. In particular, he In the Marianas, an American ship day is the regular fishing day) a whole was amazed at his inability to distin­ was held up because half of its crew native family being brought into hos­ guish between the weight of a feather were sick from eating barracuda. In pital in a state of deep coma. and that of a decanter of water. Saipan the problem is of such magni­ tude as to render the organization of I diagnosed the cause of my own par­ Recorded Fatal Cases any fishing industry impossible. The ticular case on the very first day, when In Netherlands New Guinea, a few islanders eat a few species of fish with I got up and washed my hands. It was years ago, four fatal cases have been which they are perfectly familiar. In certainly the cold tap I had turned on, recorded; the patients died in Fakfak, 1949, 57 Philippinos fell ill after a meal and yet I started at the excruciating two hours after eating "Ikan Bibit", of moray eels; two of them died. burning pain experienced. This sensa­ whose heart and liver only are con­ In the Marshall Islands in 1953, the tion was to last for several weeks. sidered poisonous. In Sorong it is com- Similarly, drinking a cold beverage flesh of a black moray caused five caused an unbearable impression of deaths. In 1950, 35 cases of fish poison­ agonising burning. ing were recorded at Kwajalein, also six Gastro-intestinal troubles were of in Majuro and three in Ponape. minor importance, and ended after 48 In 1944, poisonous fish from Midway hours, leaving me to cope with a far and Christmas Islands caused panic on more unpleasant symptom: a general the Hawaiian market, resulting in an itching that continued constantly for a estimated loss of thousands of dollars. fortnight, forcing me to contort my On Johnston Island (usually uninhabi­ body into the most grotesque positions ted) 75% of species are dangerous. and scratch without stopping. Moreover, Twenty cases of fish poisoning were I would wake up every night, not be­ recorded in 1950 among personnel of cause of the spasmodic twitching of my the U.S. army base. On Sydney Island legs but because I had the impression (Phoenix), fish poisoning is held respon­ my teeth had become loose and were sible for the high infant mortality rate. about to fall out of their sockets. In Fiji, at the meeting-point of Micro­ The final and most difficult effect to nesia, Polynesia and Melanesia, we again bear was the ensuing state of exhaustion find the species mentioned above. List­ which lasted some three or four months. ing them rationally is difficult for a non- My thighs in particular were weak and ichthyologist, as everybody, even Euro­ painful as though they had been given peans with a scientific training, uses their a thorough beating. Those familiar with native names. An Indian pointing to a fish poisoning tell me I was lucky to trigger-fish called it by a name (Ndamu) which represents a Lutjanidae for Euro­ get away with few and such slight symp­ Highly-poisonous toad fish (also known as toms: I might have suffered from vomit­ peans. A reference book listing syno­ swell, or puffer, fish) speared in New Caledonian nyms used in the South Pacific terri­ ing, abdominal pains, fever, excessive wafers. perspiration, pains in the joints, numb­ tories would, in my opinion, be useful.
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