Imagine ordering fish at a Mediterranean restaurant and ending up in a 36-hour nightmare filled with screaming humans, giant insects, and squawking birds. That's exactly what happened to several documented victims of the salema porgy, a seemingly innocent striped fish with a dark secret.

The salema porgy (Sarpa salpa) looks harmless enough—gold stripes running along its silvery body, swimming peacefully in the Mediterranean Sea and eastern Atlantic. But eat this fish, and you might experience something closer to a bad acid trip than a seafood dinner.

When Dinner Becomes a Hallucination

In 2006, medical researchers published case studies that sound like fever dreams. A 40-year-old man enjoying vacation on the French Riviera ate freshly baked salema porgy. Two hours later, he felt nauseated. Then the hallucinations started—giant arthropods and screaming animals that wouldn't stop. He spent 36 hours in the hospital before recovering completely.

Another victim, a 90-year-old man in Saint-Tropez, experienced auditory hallucinations of shrieking humans and birds after his salema porgy meal in 2002. The visions were terrifying, not recreational.

The medical term for this poisoning is ichthyoallyeinotoxism—a mouthful that describes fish-induced hallucinogenic poisoning. Symptoms include:

Vivid visual and auditory hallucinations (often described as LSD-like)
Nausea and vertigo
Disturbed motor coordination
Nightmares and delirium
Effects lasting up to 36 hours

The Roman Party Fish?

Here's where history gets hazy but fascinating. According to historical sources, Romans supposedly consumed salema porgy specifically to get high—ingesting the fish's head to trigger visions. The evidence is more folklore than archaeological fact, but the story persists across Mediterranean cultures.

In Arabic, the fish is known as "the fish that makes dreams." Polynesians reportedly used it for ceremonial purposes. Whether ancient Romans actually passed around hallucinogenic fish at parties remains unproven, but given Roman enthusiasm for exotic experiences, it's not implausible.

The Mystery Toxin

Here's the truly weird part: scientists still don't know what causes the hallucinations. Despite documented cases and medical studies, researchers haven't identified the exact compound responsible for ichthyoallyeinotoxism.

A 2012 study linked the toxicity to the fish's diet—specifically phytoplankton growing on seagrass (Posidonia oceanica) and green algae (Caulerpa prolifera). The fish apparently accumulates toxins from what it eats, but whether the fish produces additional compounds or simply concentrates algae toxins remains unclear.

This also means the hallucinogenic potency varies wildly. Some salema porgy are perfectly safe to eat. Others will send you on an involuntary 36-hour trip. There's no way to tell by looking at it.

Not Recommended

Unlike pufferfish (fugu), which skilled chefs prepare safely, there's no known way to remove the toxins from salema porgy. You're essentially gambling every time you eat one. The hallucinations aren't pleasant—victims describe terror, not enlightenment. And unlike most psychedelics, you can't just wait it out in a comfortable setting. Thirty-six hours is a long time to experience uncontrolled visions of screaming creatures.

The salema porgy remains one of nature's strangest examples of seafood roulette—a fish that might nourish you or might trap you in a day-and-a-half nightmare. The Romans might have sought it out intentionally, but modern medicine strongly advises against it.

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