No, that would be referring to ciguatera etc in tropical barracuda, a different species from our own.
The only thing you need worry about with our couttas is the worms that infest them. I tihnk if you whip the fillets off them straight away, avoid the gut cavity and backbone, this is not such a problem...so I have been told anyhow, but I have never opened up a coutta yet that did not have worms right thru the flesh, so wadda I know? :-)
However, they are certainly ebible, in fact I think they are a popular table fish for the jaapies... oops, sorry, South Africans... :-) Feel free to correct me on this.

Actually, the tropical barracuda is also a popular eating fish in the islands as well, it is the main fish for the fijian "kokoda" (raw fish in coconut milk and lemon juice etc), and in the Sollies, you are a top bloke if you give a local a cuda you have caught.
Specimen shots of both fish...ummm....

Kiwi barracoutta....


tropical barracuda.
 Note the diff spelling.

cheers,
Stu.

Look for white filament or tubes in the fillet...especially moving white tubes... thems the worms. I suppose cooking will kill em, but still....eeeuuwww....

I don't eat coutties but the fillets go nicely thru the mincer and make good berley when mixed with tuna oil.

The bones under the skin in the barracoutta are the same as those you get in Gemfish... often the two fish get confused, but the gemfish are a much stouter fish, usually hauled out of deep water. Excellent when smoked, and usually free of the worms.

Yes Coutta - NZ, Couda - tropical.

Yes you can eat NZ coutta, they all have a parasitic worm in their stomach which when they die leaves the stomach lining and enters around the backbone and into the flesh.

If you are keen on eating one, gut them as soon as possible and then the flesh is ok or non-wormed.

I smoked one once and well...even the dog wouldn't eat it! :))

Yes lots of bones through out the flesh, a top recipe is to put one in a pot with a tons of herbs and spices and a stone, boil it up, throw out he coutta and eat the stone. :))

Seriously I have tried and found them awful.

Better to fillet off and use as bait, particularly for hapuka/groper, crayfish pots or berley.

The wife and I had cudda in the Solomons last year and it was bloody delicious,cant bring myself to try the NZ version tho would rather turn it into Puka ,they love it

I found they have worked well in the past as bait for snapper as i
remeber running out of bait at kawu and used that wormy crap for bait and got 21pouder good stuff in my book
 

Frostfish get them too.

[QUOTE=Catchelot] Yes Coutta - NZ, Couda - tropical.

Yes you can eat NZ coutta, they all have a parasitic worm in their stomach which when they die leaves the stomach lining and enters around the backbone and into the flesh.

If you are keen on eating one, gut them as soon as possible and then the flesh is ok or non-wormed.

I smoked one once and well...even the dog wouldn't eat it! :))

Yes lots of bones through out the flesh, a top recipe is to put one in a pot with a tons of herbs and spices and a stone, boil it up, throw out he coutta and eat the stone. :))

Seriously I have tried and found them awful.

Better to fillet off and use as bait, particularly for hapuka/groper, crayfish pots or berley.
/QUOTE]


Catchelot, how does the snapper you cook or smoke taste ?!

Hell NO...it tastes delecious man i dont know what you guys are on about its actually really nice i just had it for tea....it had worms but the hell to them i pulled them out and boiled them(Not planning on eating any more couta)....maybe it just tasted good cause i havent tasted snapper or other good fish.