Pufferfish- Interesting Facts and Info

Here is some interesting fact about the pufferfish that I would like to share with you.

It’s also known by names balloon fish, blowfish, globefish, swellfish, sea squab and toadfish.

It’s a kind of fish that appear like a poor fellow but blow like a balloon in the water. It’s look like the large bird in the angry birds game. That’s why biologists calling it ‘blowfish’. Puffer fish is famous for its potential toxicity. The extraordinary nature helps them to escape from predators. Blowfish swim or move very slowly. Some species of pufferfish has spines in their body. It’s a natural defense mechanism we can see on many creatures in the earth including plants. The spines give them more protection from predators. It can ingest large amount of water. That makes them to grow 2-3 times of the initial size. One of the interesting fact about Pufferfish is it’ll release a substance called tetrodotoxin which is highly toxic and the antidote is not yet discovered. It is even deadly than potassium cyanide (more than 1000 times poisonous than cyanide). This fish is deadlier than the snakes. Tetrodotoxin from one fish can kill 30 human adult. This toxin is fast acting in humans than other animals. The level of toxicity is fatal to human beings.

You may have heard of red tide causing gaunylax which releases a toxin called saxitoxin which can kill large fishes including shark. There is reports says that saxitoxin is seeing in Pufferfishe.

Even though Pufferfish is very dangerous it is using as a food in many parts of the world mainly in japan and Thailand. Pufferfish is known as Pamkao in Thailand. A food called ‘fugu’ is making from some species of Pufferfish meat in Japan. It is very expensive and only licensed chefs are able to handle and make this fish and dish. They are the only ones knows which part of the Pufferfish is safe and edible. But deaths are occurring world wide from food poison and pufferfish attacks. Pufferfish and the products extracted from it are very costly. Most of the Pufferfish populations are stable in world wide. But some species are facing threat due to habitat loss, fragmentation and pollution. Pufferfish are usually growing 2.5-61cm in length.Another fact is puffer fish is the second most poisonous vertebrate in the world.

Pufferfish is the demon in the water with cute appearance. If you accidently hook this fish, don’t touch it. Immediately leave it there and go back home. Don’t mess with this fish. It is very bad and deadly. One cut, BOOM! You die. Importantly don’t use this fish as a pet in your aquarium.

I hope you liked the facts about the Pufferfish. Do you?