ciguatera A type of poisoning caused by eating fish whose flesh contains ciguatoxin, a substance that is probably obtained initially from marine cyanobacteria eaten by small fish, in turn eaten by larger fish in which the toxin accumulates. The symptoms include nausea, vomiting, numbness of parts of the body, and even coma. Sometimes, therefore, it is probably wise not to eat certain species (e.g. mackerel, grouper, jack, and snapper).

ciguatera A type of poisoning caused by eating fish whose flesh contains ciguatoxin, a substance that is probably obtained initially from marine cyanobacteria eaten by small fish, in turn eaten by larger fish in which the toxin accumulates. The symptoms include nausea, vomiting, numbness of parts of the body, and even coma. Sometimes, therefore, it is probably wise not to eat certain species (e.g. mackerel, grouper, jack, and snapper).

ciguatera Poisoning from eating fish feeding in the region of coral reefs. The species of fish are normally edible, and appear to derive the toxins, ciguatoxins, from their diet. Reported in seafarers' tales in the sixteenth century.