# I want to eat some live fish... (Goldfish, not sushi)
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-eat-some-live-fish-goldfish-not-sushi/239734
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [April 13, 2004, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-eat-some-live-fish-goldfish-not-sushi/239734 "2004-04-13T05:38:50Z")
**Posts on this page:** 15
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Jarrod87](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jarrod87)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2004, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-eat-some-live-fish-goldfish-not-sushi/239734/1 "2004-04-13T05:38:50Z")
I have heard about peoople eating live fish for fun at parties and stuff and i was just wondering is it safe?
I think it would be cool to be able to do as a party trick but i need some more information.
1. Is it safe?
2. Are some fish safer than others?
3. What fish would be best?
4. How many could i eat safely?
Thats about all the questions i can think of.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
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### Author:  [@conczepts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/conczepts)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2004, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-eat-some-live-fish-goldfish-not-sushi/239734/2 "2004-04-13T06:06:46Z")
I’ve only ever heard of it being a sleight of hand trick with thoroughly cooked carrots.
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### Author:  [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2004, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-eat-some-live-fish-goldfish-not-sushi/239734/3 "2004-04-13T06:17:42Z")
> [@conczepts](#):
>
> I’ve only ever heard of it being a sleight of hand trick with thoroughly cooked carrots.
You haven’t seen [Stevie Star](http://www.barbaracoppersmith.com/collegeside/BCA%20Comedy%20Warehouse/Stevie%20Starr/Bio.pdf) then?
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### Author:  [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2004, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-eat-some-live-fish-goldfish-not-sushi/239734/4 "2004-04-13T06:49:27Z")
From Stevie’s contract rider:
“h. 2 goldfish 8.5 cms (3.5 inches) long, head to tip of tail +1 smaller goldfish 6 cms (2.25 inches) long, head to tip of tail (size if fairly critical- too small and they’re not strong enough- too big and Stevie can’t swallow them!). Fish must be comets, not fantails or bubbles.”
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### Author:  [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2004, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-eat-some-live-fish-goldfish-not-sushi/239734/5 "2004-04-13T12:49:35Z")
You wacky college kids. Next you’ll be stuffing yourselves into phone booths or sitting on flagpoles, playing your ukulele . . .
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### Author:  [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2004, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-eat-some-live-fish-goldfish-not-sushi/239734/6 "2004-04-13T12:55:46Z")
Back in college – this was the swinging '80s – I attended a fraternity party where a children’s wading pool was set up in the living room of the fraternity house, stocked with minnows (about 1" long). During the party, students who were especially brave, attention-starved, or drunk (or all three) would take one out with a small aquarium net and swallow it whole (washed down with beer).
The first obvious danger with swallowing whole live fish is the risk of choking. Beyond that, I might be afraid of a live fish having parasites – don’t know if that’s a reasonable fear, but it doesn’t seem irrational.
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### Author:  [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2004, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-eat-some-live-fish-goldfish-not-sushi/239734/7 "2004-04-13T15:55:45Z")
I’ve swallowed a live goldfish. Lots of people I went to college with have (us wacky MIT types!). It isn’t hard. Get a small one (no more than an inch and a half I’d guess), put it in a glass of water, drink the whole glass down as fast as you can. It _usually_ glides down easily. Occasionally it may get turned around and try to go down tail first, in which case you cough a lot and hack it back up.
Most of the magic tricks involve swallowing a fish then bringing it back up, still alive.
As for safety, none of us died, or AFAIK came down with some weird goldfish-induced disease.
For a really fun party trick, grab the fish by the tail, bite its head off, swallow that, then swallow the rest. That’ll impress the crowd.
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### Author:  [@fezpp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fezpp)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2004, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-eat-some-live-fish-goldfish-not-sushi/239734/8 "2004-04-13T16:02:17Z")
God help you if the PETA lot find this thread…
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### Author:  [@Oregon\_sunshine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oregon_sunshine)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2004, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-eat-some-live-fish-goldfish-not-sushi/239734/9 "2004-04-13T18:15:14Z")
Won’t that hurt the fish? :eek: ☹
(IANA PETA person, just for real - that’s mean!)
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### Author:  [@Dragwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragwyr)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2004, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-eat-some-live-fish-goldfish-not-sushi/239734/10 "2004-04-13T18:46:13Z")
> [@conczepts](#):
>
> I’ve only ever heard of it being a sleight of hand trick with thoroughly cooked carrots.
That is exactly how the goldfish swallowing craze got started. A magician and restaurant owner, Matt Schulien did this exact stunt with a carrot shaving. He flicked his tongue around on it as he sucked it into his mouth to make it look as if the fish’s tail was wriggling around.
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### Author:  [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2004, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-eat-some-live-fish-goldfish-not-sushi/239734/11 "2004-04-13T18:50:14Z")
> [@ggurl](#):
>
> Won’t that hurt the fish? :eek: ☹
Not for very long.
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### Author:  [@Bill\_H](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_H)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2004, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-eat-some-live-fish-goldfish-not-sushi/239734/12 "2004-04-13T18:58:40Z")
Here is a video of Stevie Starr (referenced by **don’t ask** above. I’m sure he’s got some trickery going on, but I have no idea how he does it.
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### Author:  [@Daizy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daizy)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2004, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-eat-some-live-fish-goldfish-not-sushi/239734/13 "2004-04-13T19:12:17Z")
Yes! There’s [a very good reason](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=249524) you shouldn’t eat goldfish!
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### Author:  [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)
#### Post date: [April 14, 2004, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-eat-some-live-fish-goldfish-not-sushi/239734/14 "2004-04-14T03:12:55Z")
> [@Bill H](#):
>
> Here is a video of Stevie Starr (referenced by **don’t ask** above. I’m sure he’s got some trickery going on, but I have no idea how he does it.
I have reported this post as the link appears to infect my PC with the TROJ\_REVOP.A virus.
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### Author:  [@Trigonal\_Planar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trigonal_Planar)
#### Post date: [April 14, 2004, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-eat-some-live-fish-goldfish-not-sushi/239734/15 "2004-04-14T03:55:24Z")
I’ve seen Stevie Star perform in person, and in fact, have his autograph and had my picture taken with him. He puts on an excellent show, if you’re into that kind of thing! (Which I am 😛 )
When we inagurate engineering frosh we usually have a small pool setup with feeder goldfish. Like **Skammer** mentioned, anyone feeling brave/attention starved/drunk is free to do the deed. And yes, someone always does.
(IMO, I would never do it. Although I don’t mind others doing it, as an aquarium enthusiast, I would just feel bad killing a fish like that. It would not be pleasant.)