Food - Drink
13 Types Of Fish You Should Think Twice About Before Buying
By GREG BAKER
Gulf Golden Tilefish
A tilefish's diet consists of mainly crustaceans, which lends a lobster- or crab-like flavor to their flesh and increases their market desirability. However, golden tilefish caught in the Gulf of Mexico have almost eight times the mercury content of the tilefish found in the Atlantic, making Gulf tilefish a bad buy for your health.
Marlin
A marlin is an apex predator that consumes numerous smaller species in the wild. The unfortunate side effect is that the mercury found in smaller fish accumulates in the marlin’s body as it eats, and by the time it's caught and prepared for consumption, the marlin's mercury levels are dangerously high.
Chinese Farm Tilapia
There’s no need to completely avoid tilapia if you can find out its country of origin. Countries such as Honduras, Mexico, and Ecuador are all responsible producers of this fish, but farm-raised tilapia from China are often farmed in shallow, unsanitary ponds that can make them unsavory to eat.
Escolar
The escolar's laxative and purgative properties have led to it being banned in Italy and Japan. About 20% of an escolar’s body weight is composed of waxy esters that are wholly indigestible by humans, and can produce gastric problems in folks who eat too much, so it's best to just avoid it altogether.
Pacific Bluefin Tuna
Diners prize bluefin tuna for its fatty flesh, and you may know it by its sushi name, toro or hon-maguro. Unfortunately, the demand for this fish has reduced their population to less than 10% of their original numbers, making them an unsustainable seafood option that should be left alone to repopulate.