New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-10-01
POISONOUS WEST INDIAN FISH.
SEVERAL SPECIES WHICH ARE EXCEED
INGLY NOX1OUS.

SEVERAL SPECIES WHICH ARE EXCEED
INGLY NoXIoUs.
James Mcdonald Rogers. in The Popular Sci
ence Monthly
Considering the number Of unwholesorne Ms"
ebounding in these waters and the numerous
cases Of illness caused by them. was surprised
on investigation TO find that so little appeareu
10 be known or written on the subject DuIIH6
nv three years cruise in the West lndies 'He
etud, Of those fishes reputed 10 be poisonous
80 forced 1non me by reason Of the numerous
cases Of Illness among the sailors OIL my Vn
shin When il IS asserted that there are no 70
than sixty varieties Of noxous hshes 10 pe IouIu
in Cuban waters alone, II seems ues. - orte
those who are about 70 settle III these paitS
should have some general ldea as 10 "i'a' 10"
70 choose and what to avoid.
one of the cornnonest FISH in these seas is the
barracuda (Sphvrnna barracuda. WhlCh can ~
easily recognized by its elongated poGl' Gov VtV-
80 c,ecl1id scales The color is dark olive
green on the back, fading 10 Aghtei green o!i
Tho sides while its under surface Is 81, ~
white The mouth is wide ana curved WI.Il ''-'5 ~
and sharp teeth. These nshes az iai - ct
N,oraci0us often attaining the length or SIX leeI
and as they are usually found close 'nsnolo;
amid the heaviest surf. they are as i,luon I'o
-, 5sberrnen and bathers the shark Inc POI
sonous symptoms caused by this nsh are pc
culiar and were strongly marked IN the cas-
az a friend Of mine who was a Sonc4Io4, INNS
a. T}arhadoes His face sweled up ana became
tubercular like a lepers afte.WlIu ee.'t "a "a
muscular tremblings and acute pam ABOUT ,Ie
hody particularly in the JOINTS -, "'S ~" -,
ard arms came on. The nails OF ms le@l anu
hands became black and fell of without any
pain and his hair also fell out .,.-,-.,, i
The "veuow-tailed sprat (Ciupea thrlss@ II
oo-or,on in the West Indies. and may be recos-
nized by having its last dorSai ray piosois .,1i
into nlament A black spot penrU ''. s,,,,l
cover IS said 10 distinguish IL iI3i" -, 80
what similar fish. the "red-eared p!icHal l.
which has d yellow spot behind It's elI cover
M eating of this poisonous 'sprat is Sdlu 10
4 ma
am The common saying in the W est no -
that If you begin at the head you never nav
time to finish the tails almost " ,, nave
Most 81 the cases Of fish poisoning Whch nave
met with in the West Indies have been que 10
eating various kinds of snappeTs eSIeClai.s
the gray snapper" Fhe tropical Specl-s aI7
-, ,,,r,orous and difficult 10 dinerentate'
owing to their frequent change OF coor "cVo,i-
ing To age and surroundings. IN 1870 az ~.
Georges Grenada twelve persons VINO lai .o9E
Of large cray snapper "e,C 40 - b,,,re
severe symptoms Of fish poisoning. T." " .
after the meal all these were sullViIHN = 1i' 20
ard fulness in the stomach, foAo"'u ny Pi
-. -. ,.,.,,t,tng severe cramps watery eNacu-
pfions, weak thready pulse, and labored resp"a-
lions - oo,oua and the
.,- or of,eD fnuud most unwhoesome when
caught i'm West Indian waters. Inc JACK W an
plumlerD is found To be poisonous J." sun ~
sons Of the year, and II IS sau ina t., a. tWs
4irnes two small red Jumps appear ih '.7 So
Toad0sh or TeuOdOnts. are occaslohd!lS ~ ~,
with and are To be avoided as peihS ~ W
poisonous especially If the roe or hNer De eal ~,
III Diodants "trunkfshes" are not neaIiE 80
,oisonous as the TetrodOnts. but they are l"u'lu
- he very noXious at certain times OF ~ SV
lain localities more especially II the gan -
dor liver and iniest'nes are not removed "'IUI
cooking 1t is reported that those persons Wno
hod eaten them suffered from loss OF senslDhlS
old sweat over the whole body. ana slliieHou
limbs Death followed in some cases. ,o,,
Tho .urickly bottle fish, CDiodon ofDlcui"i ~
Mt win in the Gulf Of Mexico. is SAID TO De IN
+,,r,ous when eaten. The distraction Ilque'e'
Scsued in the West Indies fair mald. pi"'g ~
1Sb " .trlnkfsh" is often eaten win 10 u
aofects bv the negroes, who after cleaning ~
bale il i'm its hard. she-like covering lheie , II
b1r~arer a gelatinous matter near the TAN WAiCi
g. calIed the jelly" and similar SUBS, ' .'t
80 found near the head. When only part OF IN, W.,
sou, has been eaten its effects are d pecUI "a
S,arifgo nausea vomiting. pains al UNei .ein
49, more especially In the lmDs Ine N ~
49, 9; or "trigger fishes when iouhu III -.
.onics where they feed OF cora polSPi' M a.
he reputation of being most un"holes .s -
C"rSon 81 Montego Bay, Jamaica ieVoius .
80 - death from eating the hesh anu ANVi -
- s,ecies of coast cOnger CYmno'hoi"N AZ 49,
+ratns In spite OF treatment me man - ~,
afteT a lingering illness. Space VIII hot PEI 80, -,
Sne 70 dwell in this article on the reiali,,I
noxious fishes but il is TO be hoped thal emoue'
has been written TO teach people TO De cau -, )u
in their selection Of fish when IN inc "eS
Indies