DANGEROUS FISH DINNER

A young couple honeymooning in the Dominican Republic died under mysterious circumstances. No, foul play was not involved. It was the algae. Due to toxins created by micro-organisms native to tropic seas being successively concentrated in fish rising further up the food chain, their seafood feast did them in.


CIGUATERA

Ciguatoxin, maitotoxin, gambieric acid, and scaritoxin: produced by Gambierdiscus toxicus and a few related dinoflagellates. There is no cure, but there is a gradual lessening of symptoms as the concentration in your body decreases over time. Unless you're dead, of course.

Nausea, vomiting, headaches, muscle pain, vertigo, numbness, and hallucinations. The false sensation that cold is hot and hot is cold.
The toxins can be spread through sex and breast-feeding.
It is associated with tropical reef fish.
There is no antidote.


WHAT'S ON THE MENU?

Here is where it gets fun: through name-substitution, you really don't know what that fish in the expensive restaurant is, nor where it's from. And though ciguatera occurs not infrequently in the Caribbean and the warmer part of the Pacific, because of the modern fish trade it has also claimed victims in places like New York City.

If you do not die, symptoms may last for weeks or months.
Even years later, there may be recurrences.
Triggered by almost anything.



Reef fish. Tropical waters. Algal bloom.
Can't be destroyed by cooking.
Odourless and tasteless.



I might post a fish curry recipe in a day or two.




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