Blowfish Facts

Blowfish is one of the common names of those marine and estuarine fish that belong to the family Tetraodontidae. This family consists of 19 genera, which in turn have around 121 species of fish. These fish are known in various names like blowfish, puffer fish, balloon fish, bubble fish, globe fish, swell fish, toad fish, toadies and honey toads. All these names imply one of the characteristic features of these fish. They have the ability to inflate themselves like a ball and this technique is one of the main defense mechanisms of these fish.

Another important blowfish fact includes its poisonous nature. Some of these fish are categorized as the second most poisonous vertebrates in the world. These fish are mainly found in tropical regions, are rare in temperate and cold waters. They have fused teeth, that form the upper and lower plate of the mouth. The size of blowfish ranges between small to medium, but, some types can grow to a length of around one meter.

Why the Name Blowfish

Now, you know that the name is derived from their defense mechanism. These fish are very slow moving, as they use pectoral, dorsal, anal, and caudal fins, jointly, for propulsion. This slow moving nature makes them vulnerable to the attack of predators. Whenever, they get threatened, blowfish fill their stomachs with water and inflate themselves to a larger ball-like shape. This natural defense technique is to scare predators, so that they can escape. This action of blowfish is facilitated by their extremely elastic stomachs, that get inflated in a matter of seconds. When under water, they use water to inflate their stomachs, but, if they are taken out of water, air is used to get themselves inflated.

Blowfish is Poisonous

It is their defense mechanism that gives this fish a spherical shape and their poisonous nature. While most blowfish species are poisonous, some of them can cause lethal effects. It is said that internal organs like the ovaries and the liver contain high concentrations of poison, but, traces are found in the intestines and skin too. Some blowfish have a powerful neurotoxin in their body and this can be lethal for both predator fish and humans. Studies show that these toxins are not produced by the fish itself, but, by a particular type of bacteria, that enters the body of the fish through some prey (which do not contain poison). This is evidenced by the fact that non-poisonous blowfish or puffer fish can be raised in a controlled habitat with a diet, that is different from their normal diet. In general, bright colored skin is not commonly seen in blowfish, but, there are some types with colorful bodies. The latter category is considered to be more poisonous, as compared to the somber ones.

Humans and Blowfish

Being poisonous in nature, most of the blowfish can be problematic for humans. These fish can cause poisoning in humans, either by handling them or through eating. While some of them cause minor health problems, eating some types can be really lethal, as the poison can cause paralysis and even death. Even though poisonous, this fish is consumed in some regions like Japan and Korea. However, the fish is cleaned and prepared by expert chefs, who have expertise in removing the poisonous parts of the fish. In Japanese, this fish is referred to as fugu and are used to prepare various recipes, including blowfish sushi. Apart from that, puffer soup, fugu chiri and sashimi fugu, are prepared with this fish. It has been observed that incorrectly prepared blowfish dishes can cause harm to those, who consume it. However, studies show that around forty types are used in Japan for human consumption and every year they consume approximately 10,000 tons of blow fish. These fugu dishes are very expensive too. Blowfish poisoning may happen through handling of this fish. If you take a blowfish out of the water, it gets inflated with air and poisoning can be caused by the minute spines on the skin or by biting. So, it is always better to wear thick gloves while handling them.

In short, blowfish is one of those amazing fish with interesting features. However, avoid handling these fish with bare hands and consume blowfish dishes prepared by experts only (at your own risk). If you want to know more about blowfish facts, you may conduct an in-depth study about then.