An old paper by White et al. (1965) describes the toxicity of two species of Fundulus (Cyprinodontiformes, Fundulidae) to some warm-blooded vertebrates (birds and mammals). Despite some speculations about presumed Aphanius (Cyprinodontiformes, Cyprinodontidae) toxicity to vertebrates (man included) I was not able to find a single reference describing this phenomenon. Does anyone have ever had gathered information about this or met a reference?
I think this question depends on which predator is and the metabolic rate of absorption of the toxics have, should be studied deeply to the predator
Yes, indeed. The paper by White et al. 1965 states that some warm-blooded animals (birds and mammals) are sensitive to Fundulus toxins and show different signs possibly interpretable as poisoning. On the contrary, salmons and trouts fed with Fundulus seem indifferent to its toxins. Yet, my question is another and more basilar: knowing if there is any evidence of toxicity of Aphanius in any organism.
I'm not sure, but this paper may help
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11356-014-3252-6
Aphanius fasciatus is normally eaten fried in Trieste and all NE Italy. Not as a single species but together with big amount the Atherina boyeri, in which singles Aphanius are mixed. You immediately recognise them because their taste in very very bitter. Nevertheless not single case of poisoning are documented or occurred. But this could be due because fish poisons are normally thermolabile and Atherina is eaten only fried at high temperature.
Thank you Nicola. That's really interesting. In my search for a written evidence for this curiosity, I found an old paper by an Italian zoologist of the 1880s from which, I believe, everything started (the paper is cited in some successive publications reporting the putative poisonous qualities of Aphanius). Not fake news I mean, but a honest anecdotal report of Sardinian fishermen in the Cagliari area avoid eating A. fasciatus because, they state, it causes kidney problems. The same zoologist reports that A. fasciatus are instead avidly eaten in San Pietro island (SW Sardinia). Maybe you are right when stating that intense heat could neutralize the poison. Worth investigating!
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