Interesting Facts About Bubblefish or Pufferfish (Tetraodontidae).
Interesting Facts About Bubblefish or Pufferfish (Tetraodontidae)
Kingdom :- Animalia
Phylum :- Chordata
Class :- Actinopterygii
Order :- Tetraodontiformes
Suborder :- Tetraodontoidei
Family :- Tetraodontidae (Scientific name)
Most Common Name :- Pufferfish
Size :- Up to 100c.m.
Diet :- Omnivore
Lifespan :- Approximately 10years
Bubblefish is the most commonly known as pufferfish. Bubblefish belongs to the family of Tetraodontidae. They are also known by various names such as "pufferfish", "sugar toad", "globefish", "toad fish", "balloonfish", swell fish", "honey toad", "sea squab" and "blowfish". There are about 200 known species in the Tetraodontidae family so far. Bubblefishes are very similar to "porcupine fish" and they are both called pufferfish, but porcupine fish belongs to the family of Diodontidae, which is different. The difference between bubblefish and porcupine fish is that porcupine fish have a large number of external spines, which are not seen, when they are normal but when they puff up their spines turn outward. But in the case of bubblefish, they have no such spine.
Living Place & History :-
These fish live in tropical & subtropical ocean waters and also in fresh & brackish water. And these fish are never seen in cold water. It has been observed that 35 species of the family Tetraodontidae live in fresh water. Bubblefish was known many years ago, and the oldest known genus of bubblefish is "Eotetraodon", known from fossils found in the Monte Bolca and Caucasus Mountains.
How poisonous is bubblefish ? :-
Bubblefish are known as the most poisonous fish in the world and are also the second most toxic vartebrates in the world after Poison Dart Frog, but some of them are less toxic. This fish is eaten in Japan and there it is called "Fugu" but before eating this fish some parts are removed such as fish's liver, skin, ovaries and eyes, because these parts contain a large amount of poison. Biologists say, bubblefishes have a powerful neurotoxin called tetrodotoxin (TTX), which is 1,200 times more toxic than cyanide. Biologists also believe that one bubblefish is sufficient to kill 30 adult humans and so far there is no known antidote for this poison. You can't believe that large quantities of bubblefishes are eaten in Japan, China and Korea. A fugu dish is up to 200dollars in Japan and 1,000 tonnes of fugu fish are eaten per year. Fugu comes in the top 10 dangerous food in the world and many people even die due to this food. The tetrodotoxin of bubblefish makes the tongue and lips dead, and causes dizziness and vomiting, and TTX also increases heartbeat, dicreases blood pressure and paralyzes muscles. And finally the affected man dies.
Characters for which bubblefish is famous :-
The stomach of the bubblefish is very elastic, when someone tries to catch it, it deposits a huge amount of water in its stomach and starts to puff up; But when it is outside of water, it deposits air in its stomach and puffs up until it becomes very large and almost spherical shape.
No other creature can eat bubblefish because of its tetrodotoxin (TTX) poison, but sharks & lizardfishes can eat them, because the bubblefish poison doesn't affect them.
Some species of bubblefishes have chameleon like abilities, because they can move their eyes indipendently and some can change their color or patterns on their body with environmental changes.
Pufferfish (or bubblefish) is an amazing creature in the world, because a male fish creates a complex geometrical design with the help of sand to attract a female fish. Therefore, a species of bubblefish, called Torquigener albomaculosus, was called "the greatest artist of the animal kingdom" by David Attenborough.
Some biological information about bubblefish :-
Bubblefish are generally small in size but some species of this fish can grow up to 100 cm. It moves much slower than other fishes and its locomotion depends on pectoral, anal, dorsal & caudal fins (i.e:- tail fins). It can change its movement direction with the help of the caudal fins. It is seen that the bubblefish has 4 teeth (two in the upper jaw and two in the lower jaw), which are very strong. They chew and eat their food. They can also easily break crabs and mollusks to eat. The reproductive system of bubblefish is similar but some species differ according to their environment. Bubblefish eggs are spherical and buoyant. They are generally omnivorous, and eat algae & invertebrates as their food. And the average life time of bubblefish is about 10 years.
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