Definition of Term

ciguatoxic fishes

(English) Those fishes causing ciguatera poisoning. These are usually insular marine fishes in the tropics, subtropics or warm temperature zones, best known in the tropical Pacific and Indian Oceans and West Indies. But geographical occurrence is spotty, and fish may be poisonous in only part of an island. Numerous species have been found to be ciguatoxic but in other places or in other years they are safe. Ciguatoxic fishes are usually bottom dwellers or feed on bottom dwelling fishes. Toxicity may be due to consumption of an algae (benthic dinoflagellate) by the fish or by one of its prey. Examples of ciguatoxic fishes include Muraenidae, Holocentridae, Acanthuridae, Lutjanidae, Scaridae, Serrandiae, Spyraenidae. (See also: ciguatera poisoning, ciguatoxin)

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