Making seviche - the citrus cooks the fish w/o heat?

Here’s some info.

I’ve had homemade ceviche by a Peruvian chef, and she said that it was important to make sure the fish you get for it is the freshest possible, since the acid bath form the citrus doesn’t necessarily kill all the bacteria the fish may carry.

It’s the acidity in the lime juice. Source

“Ceviche is a hugely popular dish in South America. The basic ingredient is raw fish, cut into bite-size pieces and marinated in the juice of an acidic fruit (usually lime), salt, and seasonings (usually chile peppers). The citric acid in the juice changes the texture of the fish, without changing its “raw” taste. Ceviche is an old tradition in South America, dating back to the earliest inhabitants. The Incas preserved their fish with fruit juice, salt and chile peppers, and later the Spanish conquerors introduced the now essential limes.”

Remember, that people eat raw fish all over the world. That has to be not more than a couple days old and preferably less than a day old. If your halibut is that age, you should be fine. You could eat it raw if you wanted to.

Yeah, the acid cooks it. It will be fine. If you can get sushi grade fish, meaning very fresh, it will taste better and you won’t have to feel unfortable about not cooking it if you are worried. But, you don’t have to worry anyway.