A Filipino food content creator has died after eating a toxic devil crab she had foraged and cooked for a social media video, highlighting the risks of consuming unidentified wild seafood.
Emma Amit, 51, filmed herself collecting shellfish and crabs from mangroves near her home in Barangay Luzviminda, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, on 4th February. With more than 200,000 Instagram followers, she was known for videos showing fishing trips with her husband and preparing fresh catches for her family.
In the footage, later removed from Facebook, she displayed a brightly mottled crab before cooking it in coconut milk and tasting it. The crab was Zosimus aeneus, known as the devil crab, a reef species containing powerful neurotoxins.
According to ABS-CBN, Amit and her family gathered the crabs in Sitio Tacduan the previous evening and ate some that night, believing them safe. The next morning she cooked the remaining catch. While she was eating, a friend from Barangay Mangingisda arrived and was offered some. After eating a piece, the friend experienced numbness and drooling and was taken to hospital, where she recovered.
Amit soon lost consciousness and was rushed to a clinic before transfer to hospital. She died on 6th February. Neighbours said she suffered seizures and her lips turned dark blue.
Barangay chief Laddy Gemang told ABS-CBN: “Ayon sa kanila, ay kumuha ng crab sa laot, at niluto pa nga po noong gabi, at ang nakain totoong crab – talagang makinis ang likod. Kinabukasan, niluto pa rin yung natirang crab, ‘yon pala, ang kanilang naluto, ay isa na po doon ay ang devil crab.” (They said they collected crabs from the sea and cooked them that night, and the ones eaten had smooth shells. The next day they cooked the remaining crabs, but one of them turned out to be a devil crab.)
He added: “Habang kumakain siya (Amit) noong umaga, dumating ‘yong kaniyang kumare na galing Barangay Mangingisda. Ngayon, noong dumating, inalok niya ng pagkain at kumain din po. Kaso lang, pagkatapos niyang kinain ang isang devil crab, parang namanhid ‘yong kaniyang bunganga kung saan naglalaway na rin siya, kaya hindi na siya umulit kumain.” (While she was eating that morning, her friend from Barangay Mangingisda arrived. She offered food and the friend ate as well. After eating one devil crab, her mouth became numb and she began drooling, so she stopped eating.)
Gemang, noting the couple were experienced fishers, said: “This is really saddening because they should have known. So why did she eat it? That is what I’m confused about.”
Police and village officials found seven discarded devil crab shells in the household rubbish. Gemang said it was the third poisoning case in the town.
The devil crab inhabits reefs across the Indo Pacific from the Red Sea to Hawaii. It grows to about 60 mm by 90 mm and has brown blotches on a pale shell. Its flesh contains tetrodotoxin and saxitoxin, the same toxins found in pufferfish. Cooking does not neutralise them and poisoning can cause paralysis, respiratory failure and death within hours. About half of severe cases in the Philippines are fatal.
Symptoms include numbness around the mouth, vomiting, drooling, dizziness, blurred vision, difficulty speaking or swallowing, chest tightness, headache, diarrhoea, abdominal pain and paralysis. The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources advises immediate medical attention. Locally the crab is known as “kuret”, “liod”, “kaligmata”, “kagang bugton”, and “karal karal”.
Previous cases have been recorded. Last October a 54-year old fisherman died after eating the crab. Nearly five years ago two children died and their father was hospitalised in the same district.
Gemang warned residents: “Ingatan po ninyo na huwag kainin talaga itong devil crab dahil talagang nakamamatay. Napakadelikado po talagang kainin itong uri ng crab dahil oras lang po talagang namamatay na po kaagad ‘yong nakakain nito.” (Please be careful and do not eat this devil crab because it is deadly. This type of crab is extremely dangerous and people can die within hours after eating it.)
He added: “Do not eat these dangerous devil crabs because they have claimed two lives here in our town. Don’t gamble with your lives.”
Authorities urged caution when consuming wild seafood, particularly as online food content grows in popularity.
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