Toxic Fish Appear In Barnegat Bay

If you're fishing in the Barnegat Bay, be cautious about catching a poisonous fish.

Northern puffers are common in the bay, but this summer its cousin, the smooth puffer, is showing up too.

The toxins in the smooth puffer are found in the liver, gonads and intestines and sometimes the skin, according to the Food and Drug Administration. The FDA has warned that this fish may contain the potent and deadly toxins tetrodotoxin and/or saxitoxin, which can cause severe illness and death. These are central nervous system toxins and are more deadly than cyanide. The toxins cannot be destroyed by cooking or freezing.

Symptoms, such as tingling, weakness, loss of balance, vomiting, diarrhea and paralysis can start within 20 minutes to 2 hours after eating the toxic fish. There are no known antidotes.

The Asbury Park Press reported experts from the National Marine Fisheries Service have identified photos of at least one puffer caught as the southern puffer, noting "you may want to throw it back".