# Are amberjacks safe to eat



## djrek07

Just got back from the keys we caught some slammer dolphins and some amber jacks One had two giant teeth marks from a shark trying to steal it from me. My question is are amberjacks safe to eat because someone told me they are poisonous. They are mixed up with the mahi is there a way to tell them apart before cooking.


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## blaminack

No, they aren't poisonous in and of themselves. They aren't my favorite fish to eat. But larger fish can retain higher levels of heavy metals and may be better eaten when smaller. Amberjacks could have a build of toxins from eating certain reef fish, these toxins can cause numbness and tingling etc. But that is really rare. I wouldn't worry about it if your fish is fairly small. It is called ciguatoxin.


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## blaminack

Here is an article about it... 
http://www.ksdk.com/news/investigative/story.aspx?storyid=136521&catid=70


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## SnookMook

I've eaten amberjack many times. I've never had a problem. I also know many Florida anglers who have and I've never heard of anyone having a problem with Ciguatera poisoning.


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## blaminack

Yeah I ate some small AJs a week or two ago. The biggest deal is the larger fish are the ones that seem to pose any issue.


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## emanuel

I have never eaten AJs, just the sight of those worms in the tail puts me off. I have cleaned my share of them though. Parrotfish are the ones that are normally the bridge so to speak between the toxin coming from the reef and going into another predator fish. In the upper Gulf, it is extremely rare.


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## blaminack

Wow! Have you never seen the parasites in Speckled Trout and Redfish and drum? I have seen them in Trout to the point that I was mortified, but they are really harmless if cooked properly. They seem to dissolve and become invisible. They look sort of like a giant sperm cell. Large round head and long skinny tail.......


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## emanuel

I've never caught any trout with worms in them and I rarely keep drum.


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## blaminack

In Louisiana the Trout and Reds are full of them. I have seen fish with close to 30 or more. I have been told that they get them from feeding on shrimp. Funny thing is that I was peeling a live shrimp for Pomp today and thought I saw one or two. The head of them is about the size of a plastic tipped sewing stick pin, that is more oval shaped. They seem to be fully enveloped in the flesh when you see them.


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## Fishmaster

As far as a AJ's I agree that if you eat them you should eat onley the smaller ones (I never eat them over 6 Lb's) The AJ's are a dark red meet and that is the way to tell them apart from other fish when falayed. Also I never freeze them I always eat them freash. If you season with lemon peper I find them good even though they are not my favoret. The thing about AJ's they are so mush fun to cetch even though the big ones will were you out, but I never kept the big ones, they do seem to have a lot of worms.


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## montylfl

smoke um up. make a spread. great tasting


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## Fishmaster

*Smoke em!*

Allrighty then! I never thought about smoking AJ's! Great idea!


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## djrek07

Thanks for the info


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## fin&scale

The CDC tracks all large reported outbreaks/cases of ciguatera poisoning. The number one leading fish in cases reported is AJ. Now that i have scared the crud out of you I will tell you I eat AJ, barracuda, kingfish, grouper, large snappers and all the other predatory reef fish that can carry ciguatera. Ciguatoxic reactions are common to certain areas (specially in the tropics...in parts of the Bahamas it is rampant) and certain fish are more prone to it than others. The best thing is to listen to the locals as they know best which fish are most likely to carry the toxin in concentrations that can affect you. Here in Florida cigua is not so common specially once you get any further north than Jupiter on the Atlantic side. However nobody worries about eating large grouper and snapper but they are just as likely to carry cigua as any other large predatory reef fish. As a matter of fact yellowfin grouper's scientific name Mycteroperca *Venenosa* is a clue as to just how common the condition can be to these fish in certain areas (Bahamas).

PS AJ's in the Gulf are never wormy...trout in the Indan River are sporadically wormy.....sometimes they are just lousy with them.....AJ's south of Jupiter are usually wormy towards the tail...north of there it is hit or miss. Red grouper have a few worms but mostly only the bigguns (we like to call them fire trucks )

PSS I am going out tomorrow to unleash unholy war on the piscine population of the Treasure Coast....I have a feeling I will have a slaytastic time and have some fish porn to share with the board. We are taking a 162qt cooler and a 120 and have complete confidence that with just two of us we will be filling them to the brim.....a little birdie told me the fishing is hot on one of my favorite places....tell you how it went about this time tomorrow


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