Several species of fish are known to cause hallucinations or intoxication when people eat them. Examples include Sarpa salpa, Kyphosus atlanticus, Siganus spinus and Mulloidichthys flavolineatus. Ordinary cooking procedures don't seem to affect the toxins.

It's not known which chemical substances cause the effects. It's also unknown whether the compounds are produced by the fish themselves, or if they come from organisms (e.g. algae) which the fish have eaten.

The technical term for fish-induced inebriation is Ichthyoallyeinotoxism. The most frequent symptoms are dizziness, loss of co-ordination, hallucinations and memory loss. The effects can last up to three days.

Example case-study publication : Hallucinatory Fish Poisoning (Ichthyoallyeinotoxism): Two Case Reports From the Western Mediterranean and Literature Review Clinical Toxicology, Volume 44, 2006 - Issue 2

Also see : Psychedelic drugsplugin-autotooltip__plain plugin-autotooltip_bigPsychedelic drugs

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Psychedelic drugs currently have a circular definition. Classed as hallucinogenic psychoactive drugs which have the primary effect of triggering non-ordinary states of consciousness - termed 'psychedelic' experiences.

Many of the known psychedelic substances have been found to bind-to and activate the brain's serotonin 5-HT