A Mediterranean sea bream, known as Sarpa salpa or the dreamfish, can trigger vivid, prolonged hallucinations when consumed under certain conditions. The fish accumulates toxins from its algal diet that may produce effects lasting up to 36 hours or longer, according to case reports.

What is Sarpa salpa?

Sarpa salpa is an herbivorous sea bream native to the Mediterranean Sea and the eastern Atlantic coast of Africa. It features distinctive golden stripes and feeds primarily on seagrass and algae, including Posidonia oceanica and invasive species such as Caulerpa.

Ingestion of the fish, particularly when the head, brain, or internal organs are consumed or the fish is not properly cleaned, can lead to a rare form of food poisoning called ichthyoallyeinotoxism. Symptoms include visual and auditory hallucinations, nightmares, dizziness, loss of coordination, and sometimes mild digestive issues.

Research and Warnings

Scientists attribute the effects to toxins accumulated from phytoplankton or epiphytic algae on seagrass rather than compounds produced by the fish itself. The toxicity varies by season and is more likely when the fish graze certain plants. The exact compounds remain unidentified, though hypotheses include indole alkaloids chemically similar to LSD or other neurotoxins.

Traditional knowledge of the fish’s properties has existed for generations among Mediterranean and North African coastal communities. Documented modern scientific attention increased with case reports in the 1980s and 1990s, culminating in the formal 2006 clinical description.

No pharmaceutical development of the fish’s compounds for medical use has been reported. Interest centers on ecological impacts and toxin identification rather than therapeutic applications.

Original reporting: The Dallas Express — read the source article.