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"Dream fish" poisons two diners in Mediterranean
For all you gutsy travelers who feel that you have to taste the local specialties in order to truly know a place,
here's a story to keep in mind. Two diners in the western Mediterranean recently suffered intense hallucinations and
digestive problems after eating Sarpa Salpa, a type of Indo-Pacific reef fish (right). According to an article in Practical Fishkeeping, the LSD-like
hallucinations from Sarpa Salpa, also known as Salema Porgy, can begin only minutes after eating the fish and, in some
cases, can last for days. Other fish known to cause hallucinogenic fish poisoning, or ichthyoallyeinotoxism, include
certain types of "mullet, goatfish, tangs, damsels and rabbitfish," according to Practical Fishkeeping. While
the article isn't clear on where the poisoning occurred, a study of the two cases was conducted by researchers in
Marseilles. Actually, considering the fact that Sarpa Salpa is native to the Pacific, maybe some local seafood would
have been a safer bet.
Filed under: Food and Drink, Europe
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Ron Wilson Apr 19th 2006 4:48PM
Cool looking fish but I would not want to get sick from them.
Sharon Farr Apr 19th 2006 4:54PM
Where was this fish in the 70's?
Ted Apr 20th 2006 10:58AM
Actually the article says that the fish containing the toxin are generally found in the indo-pacific, but Sarpa Salpa "occurs through much of the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean." It also says that Sarpa Salpa is normally not hallucinogenic.