In a message dated 7/11/99 11:21:21 PM Pacific Daylight Time, pylka_at_castle.net writes: << If I remember aright ciguatera toxin occurs in the muscle of some puffer fish. The barracuda eats the fish and adsorbs the toxin. It's an unusual toxin in that it is one of the few, if not the only one, that is produced by more than one kind of organism. It's also a component of the Red Tide, being produced by a dinoflagellate protozoan as well as some other critters. >> I have heard it is a toxin secreted by a parasitic organism found around disturbed reefs throughout the world. Smaller reef feeders acquire it which are fed upon by larger fish and it works its way up the food chain. Any large reef predator can build up sizable stores of toxin. Affected fish carry no symptoms. I heard of people feeding portions of fish to stray cats and judging it ciguatera free if the cat survived (I never participated in this despite my hatred of cats). I learned of this method in the Marshall Islands where ciguatera is referred to as Beep Beep. It causes severe diarrhea and there is no treatment. The locals would look at a fish and say "no no, Beep Beep." Usually they would walk away with the fish so I suspect this was a scam :?) Deep dwellers and non reef feeders such as Tuna were never associated with it. I had heard someone in Hawaii was developing a test for fish flesh. Robin. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Mon Jul 12 1999 - 20:29:30 PDT
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