Dunia Ya Uzuri

This is the infamous Pufferfish (Tetraodontidae)! They’re cute little guys that fill their elastic stomach with water or air when in danger. They have extremely sharp pointed spines if their increase in size fails..And if worst comes to worst, the predator will find themselves with a mouth full of tetrodotoxin, a sometimes lethal neurotoxin. It isn’t lethal to large predators like sharks, but for the humans that consider the Pufferfish a delicacy, it might just be a high class meal that kills them.

Pufferfish are remarkably smart, and have a very interesting way of moving. They use their pectoral, dorsal, anal, and caudal fin to swim slowly but surely through the ocean waters. Their eyes are also able to move independently, and have signs of aposematism, which is the use of bright ‘warning’ colors in their appearance to warn predators of the unprofitability that comes with hunting them. The Pufferfish also has four large, distinct teeth fused into an upper and lower plate. This is an adaption that has proven helpful for their diet, which consists of crustaceans and mollusks. The teeth are a convenient crushing tool which makes eating a lot easier for these fish.

Photo credit: p@ragon