hormonal disturbances in laboratory animals, and they accumulate in body fat Fatty coho salmon and trout in the Great Lakes carry such high levels of these pollutants that government agencies advise against eating them Cooking doesn’t eliminate chemical toxins, and there’s no direct way for consumers to know whether fish contain unhealthy levels of them In general, they concentrate in filter-feeding shellfish like oysters, which strain suspended particles from large volumes of water, and in large predatory fish at the top of the food chain, which are long-lived and eat other creatures that accumulate toxins In recent years, common ocean fish have been found to contain so much mercury that the U.S Food and Drug Administration advises children and pregnant women not to eat any swordfish, shark, tilefish, and king mackerel, and to limit their overall fish consumption to 12 ounces/335 grams per week Even tuna, currently the most popular seafood in the United States after shrimp, may join the list of fish that are best eaten only occasionally The fish least likely to accumulate mercury and other toxins are smaller, short-lived fish from the open ocean and from farms with a controlled water supply They include Pacific salmon and soles, common mackerel, sardines, and farmed trout, striped bass, catfish, and tilapia Sport fishing in freshwater or near large coastal cities is more likely to land an unwholesome catch contaminated by runoff or industrial discharge Fat Contents of Common Fish Low-Fat Moderately Fish (0.5– Fatty Fish (3– 3%) 7%) Cod Anchovy Arctic char Flounder Bluefish Carp High-Fat Fish (8– 20%) ... Even tuna, currently the most popular seafood in the United States after shrimp, may join the list of fish that are best eaten only occasionally The fish least likely to accumulate mercury and other toxins are... smaller, short-lived fish from the open ocean and from farms with a controlled water supply They include Pacific salmon and soles, common mackerel, sardines, and farmed trout, striped bass, catfish, and tilapia... coastal cities is more likely to land an unwholesome catch contaminated by runoff or industrial discharge Fat Contents of Common Fish Low-Fat Moderately Fish (0 .5– Fatty Fish (3 – 3%) 7%) Cod Anchovy Arctic char