Common name: Puffer fish (Poisonous)
Scientific name: Tetraodontidae
Class: Fish
Diet: Carnivores
Lifestyle:Follow the flock, the school of fish
Medium Size: Max about 90cm
Red Book Status: Not rated
Quantity: Unknown
Toxin
The slow movement makes the puffer fish always a bargain for any carnivorous creature in the water, but to make up for that shortcoming, hunters should also be wary if they accidentally eat a puffer fish. Almost all species of pufferfish have tetrodotoxin in the skin and especially the ovaries (in females) and liver. With fishes, that toxin will spread quickly to the body and cause them to die immediately. For humans, this poison will affect the nervous system, making you unable to control the body and die, besides Tetrodotoxin in puffer fish is also known to be 1,200 times stronger than cyanide and has no specific cure. body.
Poisonous puffer fish but delicious food
Although very poisonous, puffer fish meat is considered a specialty, high price and extremely delicate in many countries such as Japan (Fugu dish), Korea (Bok or Bogeo dish), China (河豚 Hétún dish). Prepared by highly qualified chefs. However, in fact, every year there are still many deaths due to eating poisonous puffer fish.
The diversity of puffer fish
There are more than 120 species of puffer fish discovered in the world, they are mainly concentrated in tropical and subtropical seas, some live in brackish water in estuaries and freshwater such as in South America (there are species of puffer fish). Colomesus assellus), Africa (with six species of Tetraodon) and Southeast Asia (with Auriglobus, Carinotetraodon, Dichotomyctere, Leiodon and Pao)
Food and survival of puffer fish
Puffer fish usually eat fish, invertebrates (crustaceans, mollusks…) and algae. Some larger species will eat shellfish, snails, etc. Toxicity puffer fishes are usually synthesized from bacteria while eating the above foods.
Despite being endowed by nature with great survival instincts, the number of puffer fish is decreasing significantly due to water pollution and overfishing.
Some more information about puffer fish that you may not know:
– A famous Kabuki (traditional theater) actor in Japan died from eating puffer fish liver.
– Eating poisonous puffer fish will have neurological symptoms such as numbness, tingling in the lips and mouth
– Shimonoseki, also known as the capital of Fugu, the city of the famous Fugu dish made from poisonous puffer fish meat