Please select your home edition
Edition
Vaikobi 2024 December

Creature Feature - The puffer fish

by Island Cruising NZ 9 May 2018 18:15 PDT
The puffer fish © Island Cruising NZ

The puffer fish (also known as the blowfish and the toadfish) is a medium- sized species of fish that inhabits warmer, coastal waters around the world. It is most well known for it's unique and distinctive adaptations that the puffer fish has to defend itself.

There are around 120 known species of puffer fish, the second most poisonous creature on the planet and is found in tropical waters worldwide, but they rarely go into the cooler waters.

The puffer fish has the remarkable ability to expand its body extremely quickly when faced with danger, unavailing it's long poisonous spikes that cover its body. If a fisherman catches a puffer fish, they will never touch the spikes as they are highly toxic to humans and animals.

It can grow to up to 60cm in length but the exact length of the puffer fish depends on the species of puffer fish. Puffer fish can be found in a variety of colours but can sometimes be hard to identify when they are not inflated. The puffer fish normally has the appearance of a large tadpole, with bulging eyes and an elongated snout.

They are omnivorous animals and eat a variety and plants and animals. Puffer fish mainly feed on the algae that grows on the rocks and coral and also the invertebrates that inhabit these areas. Large species will also eat shellfish such as shrimp and crabs and molluscs.

Although there are a number of animals that prey on the puffer fish, these predators often meet with a nasty end. When the puffer fish is threatened it inflates it's body with air exposing the long, sharp, toxic spikes which normally intimidates the predator into retreating. If however, an animal does manage to eat the puffer fish, it will often be poisoned by the toxins in the spikes or the toxin that is released from the organs of the puffer fish when it dies.

Despite the toxins in the puffer fish, some animals such as sharks are able to eat the puffer fish without becoming harmed. It is important also to know that not all species of puffer fish are actually poisonous and these species are preyed upon by larger fish, sharks and also humans.

Despite the puffer fish having such a deadly venom, there are some species of puffer fish whose meat is eaten in Japan and Korea as a local delicacy. Special chefs are trained to cut the fish so that the fish does not poison the consumer. Other species of puffer fish produce and release a toxin into their organs when they die to harm the thing that ate them.

Related Articles

Cape Horn Hall of Fame nominations close by 30 May
Public nominations open for just a little longer The International Association of Cape Horners (IACH) is calling for nominations for new inductees to the Cape Horn Hall of Fame. Posted today at 10:52 pm
America's Cup: Emirates Team NZ respond
Emirates Team New Zealand has responded to the statements sent overnight (NZT) Emirates Team New Zealand has responded to the statements sent overnight by two Challenger teams calling for more transparency in the negotiations over the Protocol and venue for the 38th Match. Posted today at 10:44 pm
World Foiling Congress 2025 concludes
Event attracted top industry leaders, experts, and stakeholders The second edition of the World Foiling Congress took place this week at Palazzo della Borsa in Genova (Italy), attracting top industry leaders, experts, and stakeholders from across the global Foiling Community. Posted today at 9:52 pm
J/70 UK Grand Slam 2 at Royal Southern Yacht Club
7 races for the North Sails May Regatta Having suffered through some tough conditions in Grand Slam 1, the forecasts were looking hopeful for the second event of the UK J/70 Season. As we got closer to the event it was anyone's guess as to how the racing would pan out. Posted today at 9:28 pm
6mR Worlds return to Seawanhaka Corinthian YC
Oyster Bay and Long Island Sound are renowned as some of the best sailing waters in the world Founded in 1871 and located on Oyster Bay, New York, SCYC is America's oldest yacht club and its association with the Sixes goes right back to the class's foundation in 1907. Posted today at 8:41 pm
Steering the Course kicks off to #AccelerateAction
World Sailing's global women's sailing festival gets under way soon The 2025 edition of Steering the Course, World Sailing's global women's sailing festival, gets under way on 23 May with a week-long focus on #AccelerateAction in support of this year's International Women's Day theme. Posted today at 8:12 pm
IMA Maxi Europeans Inshore Series overall
Bella Mente by Hap Fauth crowned the Champion 2025 in Sorrento With the overall victory of Bella Mente, owned by American Hap Fauth and skippered by Terry Hutchinson, the curtain falls on the Tre Golfi Sailing Week 2025. Posted today at 6:24 pm
Solo McIntyre Mini Globe Race - 18,000 miles to go
Pirates, squalls, and paradise found The McIntyre Mini Globe Race fleet has officially fallen under the spell of the South Pacific—a place where dreams of palm-fringed beaches collide with the reality of torrential rain, viscous squalls, Loud lightening, questionable dinghy landings. Posted today at 3:10 pm
Hyde Sails Flying Fifteen Video Tuning Guide
Ben McGrane explains how to get the most out of your B1 mainsail with B1 or 2H jibs Hyde Sails release new detailed video guide for tuning the Flying 15 for use with the B1 mainsail with B1 or 2H jibs. Posted today at 1:30 pm
NYYC American Magic team statement
Concerns over transparency and cooperation necessary to secure a fair Protocol Over the past seven years, we've competed with pride, purpose, and perseverance in two editions of the America's Cup. It has been an honor to represent the New York Yacht Club and the United States on the global stage. Posted today at 1:29 pm
Exposure MarineC-Tech 2021 America's Cup 728x90 BOTTOMDoyle_SailWorld_728X90px_GP BOTTOM