Red Tide Question

[DZ]

I read earlier in the week that Red Tide does not affect fin fish but today I read in the Boston Globe that some 40 Terns on Monomoy have died from eating contaminated sand eels that were infected from the Red Tide. Are sand eels not considered "fin fish"?

DZ

[eelman]

Good question, I would consider them a finfish

[fishsmith]

If those were 40 dead piping plovers, they'd drain the ocean.

[Saltheart]

[Pete F.]

Just a guess, but sand eels are filter feeders and would concentrate the toxin same as clams.

[outfished]

Originally Posted by fishsmith

If those were 40 dead piping plovers, they'd drain the ocean.

[PaulS]

the article didn't say that the sand eels were dying, just the terns eating the sand eels. Maybe the red tide doesn't effect the sand eels, but will effect birds. The red tide was concentrated enough in the sand eels to effect terns.

[RickBomba]

I hope I don't get it from osmosis...Lord knows I have enough of the slime from them bastiges all over me for the summer to kill five men!

[baldwin]

To answer the first question, yes, sand eels are finfish. If you are going to look them up, do it under "American sand lance". grb

[staltershoal]

Originally Posted by DZ

I read earlier in the week that Red Tide does not affect fin fish but today I read in the Boston Globe that some 40 Terns on Monomoy have died from eating contaminated sand eels that were infected from the Red Tide. Are sand eels not considered "fin fish"?

DZ

i guess my question would be if the sand eels have it them and the bass are eating the eels ........can we get infected with it from eating the bass????????????????????

[zacs]

Here is my semi-informed, possibly right answer.

I think that the toxins do not travel into the flesh (muscle) of the fish. They are, however in the digestive system. This is the same for shelfish. So therefore, shelfish like clams, oysters, muscles, where you eat all of the guts, viscera, etc..., are bad, but shelfish like scallops you only eat the aductor muscle, so they are OK. So, I guess if you ate the guts of a fin-fish you would become ill, but the fillets are safe.

I think this is true, but don't sue me if you die.

Catch and release.

_Z_

[Raven]

careful what you eat....

[staltershoal]

Originally Posted by zacs

Here is my semi-informed, possibly right answer.


I think this is true, but don't sue me if you die.

Catch and release.

_Z_

thanks for the reassurance

[MakoMike]

The toxin doesn not affect the fish that eat it, but will infect other animals that eat the fish, if the concentrations of toxins is high enough. I suspect, like other have said, that you have to eat the viscera of the fish that ate the shellfish, but like him, don't sue me if you die.

[Bass Babe]

Dudes, it's called bioaccumulation -- the buildup of toxins up the food chain. Red tides can cause respiratory issues for people, kinda like allergies -- especially irritated by boat propellors dispersing particles into the air. Zacs is right, the toxins tend to build up in organs, not so much the flesh of fish. Smaller, planktivorous fish, like sand eels, even though they are finfish, are more likely to build up high levels of the red tide dinoflagellates and/or their toxin. Birds are usually the first ones to kick it from serious red tides -- kind of the canaries in the mine shaft -- since they're relatively high on the food chain. The state of Maine suggests that people who aren't pregnant or rugrats can safely eat 2 to 3 meals of striper a month, taking into account that the bigger the fish, the more toxin may have built up. I guess I should use the same disclaimer -- If you croak, don't blame me.

[Rob Rockcrawler]

Wow sounds like Bassbabe is a pretty smart girl.

[Raven]

taught us about the little gay dino saurs....

[kayaman]

Originally Posted by Raven

taught us about the little gay dino saurs....

missed that one.....