Some General Considerations of the Problem of Poisonous Fishes and Ichthyosarcotoxism

THE PROBLEM of poisonous fishes has been consistently neglected by ichthyologists and public health workers. With the expansion and development of shore fisheries in the tropical Pacific, poisonous fishes will become increasingly significant. The problem at this time is primarily an epidemiological one. A toxic species in one region may be commercially valuable in another-a situation which has resulted in considerable confusion. Concise knowledge of the taxonomy and biology of poisonous fishes is requisite if future studies regarding the physical and pharmacological properties of the toxins are to be of practical significance. The economic and military significance of such fishes is well established and the need for basic research is incontestable.