Fish of your Dreams

Sarpa salpa, known commonly as the dreamfish, salema, salema porgy, cow bream or goldline, is a species of sea bream, recognisable by the golden stripes that run down the length of its body, and which can cause Ichthyoallyeinotoxism when eaten.^[2] It is found in the East Atlantic, where it ranges from the Bay of Biscay to South Africa, as well as in the Mediterranean.^[3] It has occasionally been found as far north as Great Britain.^[2] It is generally common and found from near the surface to a depth of 70 m (230 ft).^[1] Males are typically 15 to 30 cm (6–12 in) in length, while females are usually 31 to 45 cm (12–18 in).^[4] The maximum size is 51 cm (20 in).^[3]

Sarpa salpa became widely known for its ichthyoallyeinotoxic effects following widely publicized articles in 2006, when two men ingested it at a Mediterranean restaurant and began to experience many auditory and visual hallucinogenic effects.^[5] These hallucinations, described as frightening, were reported to have occurred two hours after the fish was ingested and had a total duration of 36 hours.^{[6][better source needed]} The fish, and especially its viscera, have been assessed as potentially unsafe by a study conducted on Mediterranean specimens.^[7] It is believed that the fish ingests a particular algae or phytoplankton which renders it Ichthyoallyeinotoxic.