Pufferfish Latest News
Recently, scientists have confirmed India’s first case of pufferfish poisoning.
About Pufferfish
- Pufferfish belong to the order Tetraodontiformes.
- Other names: They are locally known by names such as toadfish, patkafish, balloonfish and fugu.
- Habitat: Pufferfish are omnivorous and benthic in habitat.
- Distribution: It is primarily found in the Western Ghats and major basins such as the Ganga, Brahmaputra and Mahanadi.Â
- Freshwater pufferfish species reported from India are often endemic to specific geographical areas and serve as indicators of healthy river ecosystems.
- They can inflate into a ball shape to evade predators.
- Status in India: Indian waters currently support eight genera and 32 species of pufferfish.
- Conservation Status :IUCN: VulnerableÂ
Pufferfish Poisoning
- Some puffer fish carry tetrodotoxin (TTX) which is one of the most potent neurotoxins known in nature.
- Tetrodotoxin blocks nerve sodium channels and can cause paralysis, respiratory failure and death.
- TTX consists of an oxygenated 2,4-dioxaadamantane core and a guanidinium group.
- TTX is heat-stable, water-soluble, and a non-protein quinazoline derivative.
- Evidence suggests that pufferfish do not synthesise the toxin themselves.
- Instead, TTX is believed to originate from symbiotic or ingested bacteria such as Vibrio, Pseudomonas, Aeromonas and Bacillus.
 Source: DTE
Pufferfish FAQs
Q1: What is unique about pufferfish?
Ans: They can inflate their bodies with air or water
Q2: What is the effect of tetrodotoxin, the toxin found in pufferfish?
Ans: It paralyzes muscles and can be fatal.
