Fish heads, either separated or still attached to the rest of the fish, are sometimes used in food dishes. They are more commonly eaten in Eastern countries than in the West.
Crappit heid (English: stuffed head) is a traditional Scottish Highland fish course, stargazy pie is a traditional Cornish dish, fish head curry is popular in Singapore while chhencheda is eaten in parts of India.
In Sicilian witchcraft it is customary to leave a fish head on the door step of one's enemy to ward off malicious intention. It is also performed by the eldest grandma when a mafia fishing family has been wronged by a business partner. The practice dates back to at least 1308, when Dante referenced it in his epic, the Divine Comedy.
In a more serious feud, escalation of hostilities can be signaled by the appearance of a goat head or horse head.
There are many references to talking fish heads in various dream sequences featuring Tony Soprano in the HBO series The Sopranos.[1]
Recently, fish heads gained notoriety with a Green Peace publicity stunt, in which members of the activist group dumped 5 tons of fish heads on the door step of the French Fisheries Ministry.[2]