buying and preparing fish/seafood

[jgm]

Although I can't identify these guys specifically, you might do a search on "fish", and you will find that people are often horrified by the little "extras" they receive with their fish. Seems like the consensus is 1) they're to be expected and 2) they're harmless.

But I wouldn't blame you for wanting to know exactly what they are.

[Hiroyuki]

Tainoe?

http://musi.s6.xrea.com/nikki16.htm

http://homepage1.nifty.com/gebara/ebizukan...noe/tainoe.html

[KatieLoeb]

Tainoe?

http://musi.s6.xrea.com/nikki16.htm

http://homepage1.nifty.com/gebara/ebizukan...noe/tainoe.html

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Looks like the critter from Aliens. YIKES! That would have scared the crap out of me too.

It's like a fish maggot. Ewwwwwww....

[raji]

Tainoe?

http://musi.s6.xrea.com/nikki16.htm

http://homepage1.nifty.com/gebara/ebizukan...noe/tainoe.html

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I'm sorry to curse, but it's the Japan board, and the NYer I am comes out:

That's fucking DISGUSTING

[smallworld]

Tainoe?

http://musi.s6.xrea.com/nikki16.htm

http://homepage1.nifty.com/gebara/ebizukan...noe/tainoe.html

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Thanks for the replies!

Yup, that's it. Tainoe, huh? Never heard of it or encountered one before. Anyone else?

I couldn't find anything in the links about safety. Seeing as my husband and I are still alive this morning, I'll assume everything's OK. But I'm still really disturbed by the whole thing. I think I'll be stearing clear of whole fish for a while...

Jgm, do mean do a search of eGullet? Will do. Tried searching the net but didn't come up with anything.

[Hiroyuki]

Tainoe?

http://musi.s6.xrea.com/nikki16.htm

http://homepage1.nifty.com/gebara/ebizukan...noe/tainoe.html

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Thanks for the replies!

Yup, that's it. Tainoe, huh? Never heard of it or encountered one before. Anyone else?

I couldn't find anything in the links about safety. Seeing as my husband and I are still alive this morning, I'll assume everything's OK. But I'm still really disturbed by the whole thing. I think I'll be stearing clear of whole fish for a while...

Jgm, do mean do a search of eGullet? Will do. Tried searching the net but didn't come up with anything.

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I should have been more specific. It's a parasite, and according to another site, it seems harmless (doesn't explicitly say so) because you can easily spot and remove it.

[docsconz]

I assume that since the fish was cooked the taino was not alive. As such, even if you had ingested it, the likelihood of it causing problems for you would be very small.

[Hiroyuki]

Actually, anisakis is the virtually the only parasite that we have to watch out for. All others are harmless to humans.

[tantan]

Actually, anisakis is the virtually the only parasite that we have to watch out for.  All others are harmless to humans.

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What about that one that brain-eating parasite that can be found in salmon? I'm sure everyone heard about that guy who ate salmon sashimi every day - some time later after getting severe headaches they cracked his skull open and found some evil worm parasites on his brain.

Not trying to scare anyone though.... I'm just saying.

I think they're actually pretty rare. I heard that wasabi could kill them.

[Hiroyuki]

Actually, anisakis is the virtually the only parasite that we have to watch out for.  All others are harmless to humans.

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What about that one that brain-eating parasite that can be found in salmon? I'm sure everyone heard about that guy who ate salmon sashimi every day - some time later after getting severe headaches they cracked his skull open and found some evil worm parasites on his brain.

Not trying to scare anyone though.... I'm just saying.

I think they're actually pretty rare. I heard that wasabi could kill them.

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Are you sure?? I don't think I have heard of such a parasite... I did some googling but found none that matches your description. Are you talking about a parasite called

broad fish tapeworm, broad tapeworm, or diphyllobothrium latum (don't ask me how to pronounce it)

by any chance? It's not a brain-eating parasite, though.

[smallworld]

Actually, anisakis is the virtually the only parasite that we have to watch out for.  All others are harmless to humans.

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What about that one that brain-eating parasite that can be found in salmon? I'm sure everyone heard about that guy who ate salmon sashimi every day - some time later after getting severe headaches they cracked his skull open and found some evil worm parasites on his brain.

Not trying to scare anyone though.... I'm just saying.

I think they're actually pretty rare. I heard that wasabi could kill them.

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Are you sure?? I don't think I have heard of such a parasite... I did some googling but found none that matches your description. Are you talking about a parasite called

broad fish tapeworm, broad tapeworm, or diphyllobothrium latum (don't ask me how to pronounce it)

by any chance? It's not a brain-eating parasite, though.

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Nope. I think Tantan was referring to an urban myth that was circulating around the internet a few years back. A grotesque picture showed the inside of a man's skull crawling with worms. Although the picture was real, that caption that accompanied it (claiming the worms were the result of eating sushi) was made up.

[prasantrin]

Tainoe?

http://musi.s6.xrea.com/nikki16.htm

http://homepage1.nifty.com/gebara/ebizukan...noe/tainoe.html

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Why, Hiroyuki, Why????!?!??!?!?! I've never done anything bad to you, and I'm sure we've never had anything close to a disagreement, and now thanks to those pictures the hair on my arms is standing up, I have goosebumps, and I may never be able to sleep again!!!

That was truly disgusting. I'm never eating fish again! Or at least not a whole fish ever again. Please tell me those things can only be found in tai, so I can still eat other types of fish without feeling all creepy crawly....

[Hiroyuki]

Tainoe?

http://musi.s6.xrea.com/nikki16.htm

http://homepage1.nifty.com/gebara/ebizukan...noe/tainoe.html

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Why, Hiroyuki, Why????!?!??!?!?! I've never done anything bad to you, and I'm sure we've never had anything close to a disagreement, and now thanks to those pictures the hair on my arms is standing up, I have goosebumps, and I may never be able to sleep again!!!

That was truly disgusting. I'm never eating fish again! Or at least not a whole fish ever again. Please tell me those things can only be found in tai, so I can still eat other types of fish without feeling all creepy crawly....

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I can console you, however. As its name implies, tainoe (sea bream's feed) is found in tai.

Calm down, everyone. It's no big deal after all.

[Mallet]

Although I can't understand Japanese, I thought those pictures were kind of funny (I found the little "Aliens" cartoon particularly amusing). Reminds me of a oft-quoted Darwin saying:

whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fized law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being evolved

(having said that I'm happy I didn't find them )

edit: can't spel

Edited September 15, 2006 by Mallet (log)

[AzianBrewer]

It's extra protein....

[Mallet]

I see now that my previous statement was a vast understatement: I think you may have found a 'tongue-biter'. From the wikipedia for one such species:

Cymothoa exigua is a parasitic crustacean of the family Cymothoidae. This parasite attaches itself at the base of the spotted rosesnapper fish's tongue with its claws, and drinks from the artery which supplies the tongue with blood. As the parasite grows, less and less blood is able to reach the tongue, and eventually the organ atrophies from lack of blood. The parasite then replaces the fish's tongue with its own body. The fish is able to use the parasite just like a normal tongue, except that it has to share its food with the parasite. It appears that the parasite does not cause any other damage to the host fish [1]. Once C. exigua replaces the tongue, it supplements its diet with food particles, thereby relieving strain on the host's circulatory system. (emphasis mine)

google images for confirmation

Edited September 15, 2006 by Mallet (log)

[mrbigjas]

I see now that my previous statement was a vast understatement, I think you may have found a Cymothoa exigua. From wikipedia:

Cymothoa exigua is a parasitic crustacean of the family Cymothoidae. This parasite attaches itself at the base of the spotted rosesnapper fish's tongue with its claws, and drinks from the artery which supplies the tongue with blood. As the parasite grows, less and less blood is able to reach the tongue, and eventually the organ atrophies from lack of blood. The parasite then replaces the fish's tongue with its own body. The fish is able to use the parasite just like a normal tongue, except that it has to share its food with the parasite. It appears that the parasite does not cause any other damage to the host fish [1]. Once C. exigua replaces the tongue, it supplements its diet with food particles, thereby relieving strain on the host's circulatory system. (emphasis mine)

google images for confirmation

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ok that's amazing AND disgusting. this is seriously the best bit of knowledge i've learned in so long...

[lperry]

I see now that my previous statement was a vast understatement: I think you may have found a 'tongue-biter'. From the wikipedia for one such species:

Cymothoa exigua is a parasitic crustacean of the family Cymothoidae. This parasite attaches itself at the base of the spotted rosesnapper fish's tongue with its claws, and drinks from the artery which supplies the tongue with blood. As the parasite grows, less and less blood is able to reach the tongue, and eventually the organ atrophies from lack of blood. The parasite then replaces the fish's tongue with its own body. The fish is able to use the parasite just like a normal tongue, except that it has to share its food with the parasite. It appears that the parasite does not cause any other damage to the host fish [1]. Once C. exigua replaces the tongue, it supplements its diet with food particles, thereby relieving strain on the host's circulatory system. (emphasis mine)

google images for confirmation

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Egad.

[smallworld]

I see now that my previous statement was a vast understatement: I think you may have found a 'tongue-biter'. From the wikipedia for one such species:

QUOTE

Cymothoa exigua is a parasitic crustacean of the family Cymothoidae. This parasite attaches itself at the base of the spotted rosesnapper fish's tongue with its claws, and drinks from the artery which supplies the tongue with blood. As the parasite grows, less and less blood is able to reach the tongue, and eventually the organ atrophies from lack of blood. The parasite then replaces the fish's tongue with its own body. The fish is able to use the parasite just like a normal tongue, except that it has to share its food with the parasite. It appears that the parasite does not cause any other damage to the host fish [1]. Once C. exigua replaces the tongue, it supplements its diet with food particles, thereby relieving strain on the host's circulatory system. (emphasis mine)

google images for confirmation

Thanks Mallet, that seems to be it. Except that there were two, and one of them was way too big be of any use as a tongue.

As revolting as they are, I can't help but admire the evolutionary perfection of this parasitic relationship. The Darwin quote was very appropriate.

Calm down, everyone.  It's no big deal after all.

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Easy for you to say! You didn't find it in a fish you just ate.

But I suppose I'm lucky. You know what they say- the only thing worse than finding a cymothoa exigua in your fish is finding half a cymothoa exigua...

[prasantrin]

Interestingly, I showed the pictures to my co-workers. None of them had even heard of tainoe, much less seen one! (And the motto of the English department is "We live to eat!") One of them told me about a dish she really likes to make with tai head and some other parts that are usually discarded in sushi/sashimi making, and now she thinks she might not be able to make it again!

I know it's not that big a deal, but I have a very active imagination!! I'll probably dream of it tonight!

[KatieLoeb]

As revolting as they are, I can't help but admire the evolutionary perfection of this parasitic relationship. The Darwin quote was very appropriate.

Yeah OK. I can appreciate this too. But just because I understand it intellectually doesn't mean that I'm not emotionally devastated and unable to eat fish for weeks.

[dockhl]

I see now that my previous statement was a vast understatement: I think you may have found a 'tongue-biter'. From the wikipedia for one such species:

Cymothoa exigua is a parasitic crustacean of the family Cymothoidae. This parasite attaches itself at the base of the spotted rosesnapper fish's tongue with its claws, and drinks from the artery which supplies the tongue with blood. As the parasite grows, less and less blood is able to reach the tongue, and eventually the organ atrophies from lack of blood. The parasite then replaces the fish's tongue with its own body. The fish is able to use the parasite just like a normal tongue, except that it has to share its food with the parasite. It appears that the parasite does not cause any other damage to the host fish [1]. Once C. exigua replaces the tongue, it supplements its diet with food particles, thereby relieving strain on the host's circulatory system. (emphasis mine)

google images for confirmation

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I think I'm going to throw up..........

[lapasterie]

The thread on wormy fish was enough to get me to stop eating fish. Now I had to read this one also. I think I will become a vegetarian!!!!!

[Hiroyuki]

Is this a joke thread or something? Giving up eating fish because of parasites?

You can easily avoid encountering parasites by avoiding buying a whole fish and buying slices of fish only, and you can easily avoid suffering from parasites by eating only sashimi-grade fish and heating all others by some means or other before eating.

[Ben Hong]

Actually, anisakis is the virtually the only parasite that we have to watch out for.  All others are harmless to humans.

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There is actually another that I can recall from my parasitology courses at university , oh so many years ago. Chlonorchis sinensis or the so-called Chinese liver fluke is usually benign if the infestation in the human host is light to moderate. Heavy infestations are more problematic. Although it is commonly called the Chinese liver fluke the parasite is prevalent all through East and Southeast Asia. Most Chinese do not eat raw fish on a regular basis.

Enjoy your sashimi.

Edited September 17, 2006 by Ben Hong (log)