What Are The Dangers of Eating Barracuda Flesh?

aquest
Oct 4
2 min read

Eating barracuda flesh can be dangerous because of a foodborne illness called ciguatera fish poisoning. Here are the main risks and details:

Barracuda often accumulate ciguatoxins in their flesh by eating smaller reef fish that have fed on toxic algae (Gambierdiscus species). Gastrointestinal, neurological, cardiovascular and other chronic symptoms usually appear within a few hours of eating the fish and can last for days, weeks, or even months. (Credit: AI-generated)

What are the Dangers of Eating Baracuda Flesh?

1. Ciguatera Fish Poisoning

Cause: Barracuda are top predators in tropical and subtropical waters. They often accumulate ciguatoxins in their flesh by eating smaller reef fish that have fed on toxic algae (Gambierdiscus species).
Geography: Particularly common in the Caribbean, Pacific Islands, and Indian Ocean regions.

2. Symptoms

They usually appear within a few hours of eating the fish and can last for days, weeks, or even months:

Gastrointestinal: nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal cramps.
Neurological: tingling or burning sensations, numbness, muscle weakness, reversal of hot/cold sensation (cold things feel hot and vice versa).
Cardiovascular: slow heart rate, low blood pressure.
Chronic issues: fatigue, depression, anxiety, recurring neurological symptoms triggered by alcohol, caffeine, or certain foods.

3. Severity

There is no known antidote for ciguatera. Treatment is supportive (IV fluids, medications for symptoms).
While rarely fatal, the illness can be extremely debilitating and long-lasting.

4. Other Risks

Mercury accumulation: Like other large predatory fish, barracuda may contain high levels of mercury, which can be harmful especially for children and pregnant women.

In short: Eating barracuda can expose you to serious health risks, mainly ciguatera poisoning, which has no cure and can cause prolonged suffering. That’s why in many Caribbean and Pacific coastal communities, barracuda is avoided as food.

Jamaican Folk Warning

'In Jamaica, many old-timers like me from Portland will tell you plain: “Don’t nyam barracuda — it poison bad!”

The saying goes that even the dog who eat the scraps get sick. People here know that barracuda carry a dangerous “reef poison” that mash up your belly, turn hot into cold, and can keep you weak for months. For this reason, barracuda is one fish you will hardly ever see on the pot at a Jamaican home or cookshop, no matter how big and tempting it looks when caught. A-V-O-I-D It!!!