Are heads of porgies poisonous?

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I found on the Wikipedia article for porgies, there is a quote from a reference saying that:

  1. Johnson, G.D. & Gill, A.C. (1998). Paxton, J.R. & Eschmeyer, W.N.. ed. Encyclopedia of Fishes. San Diego: Academic Press. p. 184. ISBN 0-12-547665-5. Eating the head is known to cause hallucinations, lasting many days.

I was wondering if their heads contains some poison or other bad things, and thereforeare not eatable and must be removed before cooking?

All fishes are caught in Maryland.

food-safetyfish


Best Answer

There are better references in Wikipedia, to be sure.

Apparently, the Romans ate the Sarpa Salpa, a type of bream, for it's hallucinatory effects. These hallucinations are caused by a toxin called ichthyoallyeinotoxism, present in the plankton and algae the fish eats.

It's best to avoid these toxins as the hallucinations are said not to be pleasant.



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5 Fish to NEVER Eat



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