Fish Examined 



A total of 1+6 samples of fish were examined in the course of this 

 study (Table 5): of these 3& were the yellow jack (Caranx bartholomaei) ; 

 2 each of the great barracuda ( Sphyraena barracuda) and the cero 

 ( Scomberomorus regalis ) ; and 1 each of the hogfish (Lachnolaimus maximus), 

 the horse-eyed jack I Caranx latus ), the amber jack (Seriola falcata), and 

 the yellowtail snapper (Ocyurus chrysurus)o One sample of barracuda examined 

 was from a lot which had been responsible for the poisoning of three indi- 

 viduals o The raw muscle of all 1+6 samples was examined toxicologically. 

 However j it was possible to examine the gonads of only 16 of the samples , 

 since in the remaining 30 samples either the gonads were too small to examine 

 or the fish had been eviscerated and the material discarded,, Twenty-nine 

 samples of fish flesh were examined bacteriologically, of which 12 were 

 examined for anaerobic bacteria in addition to the other routine bacterial 

 examinations ■ 



Table 5°' — Species and Sex of Fish Examined 



* 

 Identification as to sex not possible since these fish had 

 been either gutted or a small portion of flesh was received for 

 examination. 



The viscera of all fish appeared normal on examination;, No 

 parasites were observed,. The stomachs of all fish were empty, with the 

 exception of one male cero, which contained two small partially digested 

 fish so decomposed that they could not be identified,. 



Results of Bacteriological Examinations 



The plate counts ranged from 10 to 28,600 bacteria per gram of 

 muscle. Coliform organisms were present in 7 samples; 6 samples contained 

 a M0P0N0 of 10, and 1 sample a M0P0N-, of 16,000 coliform bacteria per gram 

 of fish muscle,. The M.P.U. of anaerobes ranged from 1„1 to 160 bacteria 

 per gram of muscle (Table 6)„ 



13 



