Because they may be high in mercury (a neurological toxin), pregnant women, women who are breast-feeding and small children should not eat:
- Shark
- Swordfish
- King Mackerel
- Tilefish
Albacore (white) tuna tends to have more mercury in it than light tuna, and the FDA recommends eating up to 6 ounces of albacore tuna in a week. Fish usually low in mercury are salmon, canned light tuna, shrimp, pollock, and catfish. If you have no information about how much mercury might be in fish caught locally, the FDA recommends eating up to 6 ounces of that fish, but then do not eat any more fish that week.
–Janell Mayo Duncan
Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration, “What You Need to Know About Mercury in Fish and Shellfish.” (viewed July 24, 2013)