Barracuda
Barracuda should be avoided during pregnancy. It's a large predatory fish with high mercury levels, and it also carries a real risk of ciguatera fish poisoning.
Cross-checked against NHS guidance
Barracuda is best avoided during pregnancy for two separate reasons. First, it's a large, long-lived predatory fish, so it accumulates mercury in the same way as shark, swordfish, and marlin — species pregnant women are specifically advised to avoid because mercury can affect a baby's developing nervous system. Second, barracuda caught in tropical and subtropical waters (including parts of the Caribbean, Pacific, and Indian Ocean) carries a genuine risk of ciguatera fish poisoning, caused by a toxin that accumulates in certain reef fish and isn't destroyed by cooking. Ciguatera poisoning causes gastrointestinal and neurological symptoms that can be more concerning during pregnancy, and there's no reliable way to tell a contaminated fish apart from a safe one by looking at it. Between the mercury content and the ciguatera risk, barracuda isn't worth the gamble during pregnancy, even though it's not a food most people encounter often outside specific regional cuisines.
What to be aware of
- Avoid barracuda entirely during pregnancy due to both mercury content and ciguatera poisoning risk.
- Ciguatera toxin isn't destroyed by cooking, so there's no safe way to prepare barracuda from high-risk waters.
- This applies particularly to barracuda from tropical and subtropical regions, where ciguatera risk is highest.
Safe substitutes for Barracuda during pregnancy
If you're craving barracuda but it's off the menu for now, these are safe swaps that still feel like a proper meal:
- Tilapia or basa — Mild white fish with none of the mercury or ciguatera concerns of large predatory or reef fish.
- Salmon — A safe oily fish choice, rich in omega-3, within the two-portions-a-week limit.
US guidance
The FDA lists barracuda among fish to avoid during pregnancy for the same mercury reasons as shark and swordfish, and separately warns about ciguatera risk in reef fish from tropical waters.