Safe Seafood? Helps if you understand WHAT you're really eating...
Mahi Mahi = El dorado = "dolphin"...
Bottle nose porpoise is sometimes called a dolphin, but illegal to kill and eat in most of the world (except like China & Japan, where they eat anything)
MERO...in the science books they show a sea bass from the Southern Hemisphere...in the DR, MERO is usually explained as "grouper" on the menu, but they feed you imported fresh water mudsucking catfish called Basa or Tre'...sometimes they will feed you Tilapia and call it grouper. (especially when it's fried)
You can't get ciguatera from Basa, Tre', or Tilapia as ciguatera is only found in saltwater fish....also these fish have very low nutritional value as they are low in the good Omega-3s and high in "bad fat"...they are "farm raised **** eaters" grown in near shore waters subjected to high nutrient runoff.....yum-yum
It's very hard to tell what you're being served unless you're experienced as a fisherman, cook or seafood expert. (or caught it yourself) These ASIAN farm fish are being substituted around the world and even sold by distributors in mismarked boxes from China (go figure) There was a study done in Florida EEUU where restaurant fish was DNA tested for being grouper...most restaurants FAILED the test and were caught substituting with "Oriental Mudfish". Hooters had to rename their fish sandwich "Groupers Cousin"....as an FYI, Gulf caught grouper is $16USD per pound on Florida's Gulf coast.
If it's 100 pesos a pound, it's not deep water strawberry or black grouper. Real grouper is a thick (1" or better fillet), the flesh is white after cooking and flakes in large natural segments. Some of the DR locals also call a cousin to the grouper (rock fish) MERO...they have similar markings but are smaller and found on the inner reefs, usually weigh about 2 lbs on average.
PARROT FISH...absolutely the most dangerous fish to eat...WHY?...Ciguatera. Parrot Fish are "coral eaters"...that is they crunch the coral to eat the living coral animal that gives the colors to the rock....PARROT FISH are the most prolific of all the "poisoned" fish you can eat.... Ciguatera starts in the coral and enters the food chain when fish eat each other...hence why, snappers, groupers, barracuda, rock fish, yellow tail etc have the reputation.....reef fish.
Once you've had ciguatera, it never really "leaves" your body....in severe cases symptoms persist for years. In others, simply eating the same specie of fish has brought back symptoms for sufferers.....
Hope this helps...I've spent a good part of my life living on, and playing in the sea...