6 DANGEROUS MARINE ANIMALS 



Serious students interested in stinging marine organisms will re- 

 ceive much benefit from the outstanding volumes of Dr. Marie 

 Phisalix, "Animaux Venimeux et Venins" (1922), and the brilliant 

 writings of Dr. E. N. Pawlowsky, "Gifttiere und Giftigkeit" 

 (1927). Despite his age, now in his 80's, Dr. Pawlowsky continues 

 as the distinguished head of the Academy of Sciences in Leningrad, 

 Russia. There are no recently published books on the subject of 

 venomous marine animals. However, such a work is now in prepara- 

 tion in this country, written by the author of this present volume. 



Marine Animals Poisonous to Eat 



The danger of eating poisonous marine organisms dates back to 

 the time of the Pharaohs of ancient Egypt, to the Toltec civiliza- 

 tion, and to the days when Moses led the children of Israel out of 

 the land of Egypt with the warning . . . "and whatsoever hath not 

 fins and scales ye may not eat; it is unclean unto you." (Deut. 

 14:9-10). This advice is still recommended in modern American 

 military survival manuals. 



The emperors of ancient Japan forbade their soldiers to indulge 

 in the most poisonous of all fishes, the deadly puffer, called in Japan, 

 the fugu. Those who were caught eating this scaleless delicate 

 morsel lost their entire inheritance. Similar prohibitions were 

 issued by Alexander the Great to his soldiers. 



Peter Martyr, the great historian of the West Indies, specifically 

 refers to the danger of the ciguatera type of fish poisoning. This 

 form of poisoning supposedly developed in fishes as a result of 

 their eating the poisonous machineel berry — a theory which con- 

 tinues to persist today, but is without scientific foundation. 



Captain Cook almost terminated his famous world voyage in 1776 

 as a result of eating poisonous fishes which were sold to him by 

 friendly savages in New Caledonia. 



Down through the centuries hundreds of articles have been pub- 

 lished by explorers, missionaries, physicians, naturalists and scien- 

 tists about the dangers of eating molluscs, fishes and other marine 

 organisms at certain seasons of the year under certain circum- 

 stances. The French, Russian, Japanese, and American navies 

 have called attention to the medical importance of these organisms. 

 It is estimated that during World War II more than 400 Japanese 

 military personnel lost their lives in Micronesia from the eating of 

 fresh tropical reef fishes. A most unusual piece of toxicological 

 research was conducted by the Japanese scientist, Dr. Yoshio 



