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Culinary Info and Fish Preparation Q&As
By Fishing & Food Editor Renee Shelton

Poisonous/Venomous Fish and Sea Creatures:

Marine Envenomation

Some fish contain natural toxins that enable them to be poisonous, such as puffer fish. Some marine animals are venomous and can sting with venom or a toxin, such as sting rays, sea urchins and jelly fish.

Puffer Fish: Includes: fugu, blowfish, balloonfish. These fish contain tetrodotoxin. According to Webster's New World College Dictionary: tetrodoxin is "an extremely poisonous neurotoxin...found in the puffer fishes and a genus...of newt, that blocks the conduction of nerve signals." (Neufeldt, 1384) [1] Initial symptoms may include: tingling of lips, tongue, tips of fingers, sweating, extreme weakness, nausea, headache. Severe cases: respiratory/muscular paralysis, death. A physician is to be notified immediately if you suspect you have been poisoned.

Sea Urchins: Bodies are covered in spines that break off and can sting. Some common symptoms: pain, stinging, rash, itching/and or numbness, and sometimes weakness, nausea, sweating.

Jelly Fish: Jellyfish have jelly-like bodies with an umbrella shaped body and tentacles with stinging cells. Their stinging structure consists "of a hollow coiled thread with barbs lining its surface." (..Venum Apparatus) [2]

Sting Rays: These animals have a long tail with a poisonous spine.

Remember these are only guidelines or basic information. Contact your local extension service for more detailed information or the latest recommendations, or a seafood governmental agency.

Wanting more information on the web about the above topic? Check out these online resources for venomous fish and toxins that are in fish:

For more information on puffer fish, from TheFreeDictionary.com:
http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Pufferfish

For more information on jellyfish, from the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources:
http://www.dnr.state.sc.us/marine/pub/seascience/jellyfi.html

For more information on sea urchins, from eMedicineHealth.com:
http://www.emedicinehealth.com/articles/27179-1.asp

For more information on sting rays and their stings, from eMedicine.com:
http://www.emedicine.com/EMERG/topic556.htm

For more information on various marine animals that are venomous or toxic:
http://www.utah.edu/umed/students/clubs/international/presentations/dangers.html

For more information on mercury poisoning, from Field and Stream: http://www.fieldandstream.com/fieldstream/fishing/article/0,13199,605575,00.html

Questions and answers on jellyfish and sea urchin stings, sting rays and fish poisoning by the American Academy of Family Physicians:
http://www.aafp.org/afp/20040215/893ph.html

For more information on moray eels, from the Hawaii Coral Reef Network: http://www.coralreefnetwork.com/stender/fishes/eels/eels.htm#Moray%20Eels

1. Neufeldt, Nancy, Ed. Chief, and David B. Guralnik, Ed. Chief Em. Webster's New World College Dictionary. Third Ed. New York: MacMillan, 1997.

2. Jellyfish. Sea Science—An Information/Education Series from the Marine Resources Division, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. Site accessed 6 Dec 2004. <http://www.dnr.state.sc.us/marine/pub/seascience/jellyfi.html>

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More Fish Preparation Guidelines:

Basic food handling safety and preperation guidelines.

Marine Envenomation.

Precautions for amberjacks, barracuda and other carnivorous fish (ciguatoxin).

Improper temperature storage dangers for tuna, mahi mahi, bonito, mackerel and other related fish (scombroid poisoning).

Fish purchasing guidelines (for finfish, mollusks and crustaceans).

Refrigerated storage for fish and shellfish.

Storage times for frozen and canned fish and shellfish.

Catching and keeping fish safely while boating.

Defrosting fish and seafood in a microwave.