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(Click for large pic. 51Kb)
Queensland is remarkably fortunate in that of the 1,600 species of fish recorded from her waters; only a few of them are known to cause tropical fish poisoning (or ciguatera) when eaten. The storage of this toxin within the muscle and tissues of affected fish almost certainly increases with the age, and hence the size of the fish; also, toxic fish may store the material for some time, even when they change to a non-toxic diet.
The Chinaman-fish is one species causing ciguatera; although only occasional fish have this property, it is best to consider as a general rule that THIS FISH IS POISONOUS. It is fairly plentiful in northern reef waters at depths of 45 m. In older fish, the body is pink bearing dusky vertical bars, and with a network of fine yellow lines running over the head; young fish are brighter in colour, with 10-12 wavy blue bands running lengthwise down the body. There is a characteristic deep pit, or fossa, located before the eyes. The species grows to a weight of 15.5 kg.
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