422 
num from the wrecked catalina in Butaritari 
lagoon. Aluminum is a highly prized metal in 
the Gilberts, used for making combs; when the 
visitors landed on Marakei they were swamped 
in the boat passage and the aluminum was swept 
onto the reef. Although an attempt was made to 
recover it, some metal remained on the reef, and 
this metal was thought to have affected the fish. 
Other people blamed "the Americans,” in par- 
ticular "an American ship which came to Mara- 
kei, grounded on the reef at Rawanawi, and 
when the tide came in again, left.” Enquiries at 
Tarawa showed that a United States L.S.T. had 
made several trips to Marakei from Tarawa 
sometime in 1945 or early 1946, to load thatch 
and wood for the new houses that were then 
being built on Tarawa. At that time toxic fish 
were a serious problem on Betio, Tarawa, and 
this L.S.T. was based on Betio. 
The "old men,” on this occasion a specially 
called-together group of experienced fishermen 
as well as the usual village elders, aver that when 
the poisoning started they noticed a change in 
the appearance of the reef flat fronting Rawa- 
nawi. They say it appeared to have tan-tan, a 
Gilbertese word used to describe lichens and also 
certain fungus diseases of the skin. This tan-tan 
was caused by a brown-colored alga of a kind 
which they had never seen before. The alga be- 
gan as a small circular patch growing on top 
of existing algae, sand, or stones, and as the 
patches grew larger small pieces broke away 
from the center. As in tan-tan, or fungal skin in- 
fections, this alga first appeared as a few small 
patches but spread rapidly, and then gradually 
died away until only a few patches were left, as 
at the present time. The "old men” say that this 
alga first appeared at Rawanawi, and spread 
along the reef to Buota; they insist that they 
have never seen it on any other reef on Marakei. 
This alga was clearly seen on the reef flat at low 
tide; it is orange-brown in color and grows in 
circular patches which may be picked up to- 
gether with the underlying algae. At high tide 
vast numbers of acanthurids graze along this 
reef, and appear to nibble at this alga in turn 
with the other fine varieties on the reef flat. 
This alga has been identified by Dr. Drouet 
of the Philadelphia Academy of Science as the 
blue-green alga Schizothrix calciola (Agardh) 
Gomont. 
PACIFIC SCIENCE, Vol. XVIII, October 1964 
Unfortunately the "old men” could not re- 
member which species of fish was first noticed 
to be toxic, but they agree that a specimen of 
Cephalopholis argus was responsible for one of 
the earliest cases of severe poisoning. 
The "old men” said that they continued to eat 
Albula vulpes (Linnaeus), Chanos chanos, and 
one unidentified species of Mullidae, together 
with flying fish — luckily very plentiful off Mara- 
kei — tunas and other deep-sea fishes, and of 
course fish from the other reefs and the lagoon. 
Strangely enough, one of the most popular and 
safe species, provided it was cleaned correctly, 
was puffer fish. 
By 1962, although there had been a great im- 
provement in the condition of the reef, many 
fish were still toxic. The fish population had in- 
creased enormously during the many years’ rest, 
and the Marakei people ( whose population had 
also increased) were not able to resist the easy 
fishing and disregarded the risk of being poi- 
soned. Cases of poisoning were frequent and be- 
came an accepted part of Rawanawi village life. 
Abaiang 
Abaiang ( in U. S. Sailing Directions, Apaiang 
Island) is a lagoon island just north of Tarawa, 
with a land area of 11 square miles, a popula- 
tion in 1958 of 3,234, and an annual average 
rainfall of 83 inches. There is a large lagoon, 
deep in parts, with an abundance of fish. Small 
vessels may enter the lagoon ‘ but larger ones 
must remain outside. There was no increase in 
shipping during the war. 
Poisonous fish have never been reported from 
Abaiang; its people claim that this is entirely 
due to the efficacy of their magic. 
Tarawa 
Tarawa, the headquarters of the Colony Gov- 
ernment, is a large lagoon island with a land 
area of 7.5 square miles. The population in 
1958 was 6,982 Gilbertese and 141 expatriates; 
this includes some 1,500 on Betio, a small islet 
in the southwest. There is an annual average 
rainfall of 70 inches. Poisonous fish have been 
known on Tarawa for as long as anyone can re- 
member. The lagoon is large, with extensive bar- 
rier reefs on the western side, in the midst of 
which is the main deep-water entrance to the 
