Shelter Island

[alanw]

Originally Posted by Dail14

Halibut do live on the bottom but consider what they eat. They feed mostly on fin fish especially sardines and anchovies which are filter feeders at the surface. Species like bass, bonefish and croakers are eating the shrimp and mollusks on the bottom which filter feed and sift food from the sand. They are going to accumulate much more in the way of pollutants and environmental toxins. Either way those contaminants will generally collect in the liver and kidneys so just avoid eating those areas and your meal will be much healthier. Also I once kept a nice spottie and it did not taste good at all. Sand bass and calicos taste good but spotties are tough and do not taste good at all. Just my experience.

Right on with why halibut can be better than bass even though they spend most of their time on the bottom. But, I read that it's the fatty tissue that stores most of the toxins, which is why you always discard the belly meat and why leaner fish (like halibut) are safer compared to some other fatty fish. Also older fish are worse, as are fish closer to the top of the food chain like sharks because they collect stuff from what everything that they eat has eaten down the chain.

Eat in moderation and don't worry too much.