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Those who enjoy scuba diving or snorkeling have surely seen these funny and apparently clumsy fish, some possessing large spikes and some without. When threatened, they “swallow” an astonishing quantity of water, inflating their size, which gives them their name. All of them belong to a family of fish known for the toxins their bodies contain: tetrodotoxin.
-With Two or Four Pairs of Teeth, With Spikes and Without Spikes
They are classified according to the number of teeth they have. Those with two pairs of teeth possess large spikes, while those with four pairs of teeth possess small, almost invisible spikes. All may be toxic, but those with the small spikes are the most dangerous, and their use as a food is strictly regulated in some parts of the world.
There are eight species of puffer fish in Banderas Bay, including the most famous and dangerous: the botfly fish (Arothron meleagris). But the most common is the hedgehog fish (Diodon holocanthus), slightly less dangerous and sold in the markets as souvenirs. After they are caught, they inflated and left to dry in the round shape that gives them their name.
-Deadly Beauty
Since they are harmless and non-aggressive, their danger is limited to their consumption as a food, due to the toxins they produce. Their tiny fins control the movements of their bodies in an astonishing manner, allowing them to spin and reverse direction easily. This and their exceptional vision have made them extremely effective in catching their prey among rocks. Feeding on invertebrates such as mussels and crustaceans, they use those strong teeth to “crush” the shells of their prey. Some parts of their bodies, such as the liver, intestines and skin, absorb the poisonous substances the prey contains, which can make them poisonous to consume.
Scientific research has shown that tetrodotoxin may be 1,200 times stronger than cyanide, since it affects the central nervous system. In Japan, the preparation of these fish has become an art in restaurants that specialize in serving this type of meat as a delicacy, better known as Fugu. The secret is in cleaning the fish, using care to remove the organs that contain the toxin so the meat can be used without danger.
-In Danger Due to Our Neglect
In our region as in other parts of Mexico, coastal fishermen are the main predators of these fish, significantly affecting their population. If they are not caught for consumption, they are not released alive, and dozens, maybe thousands, are killed needlessly.
Have you ever seen, while walking on the beach, that there seem to be dead puffer fish everywhere? Their arrival on the beach was not due to their clumsiness or swimming too close to the waves. The truth is that fishermen throw them onto the beach to let them die instead of returning them to the sea because they are angry they ate the fishermen’s bait, a species of sand crab essential to the natural diet of these fish.
Being such an important member of the food chain in the reefs, these fish control the population of conch, sea urchins and other organisms that could significantly damage reefs and, as a consequence, fishing of consumable fish. Although these are “undesired” fish by the majority of fishermen, they should be released to the sea to allow them to fulfill their ecological role because, in the end, they contribute to successful fishing putting dinner on many plates.
Oscar Aranda is a biologist dedicated to the conservation and respect of nature through environmental consciousness. He is a promoter of responsible humpback whale watching and eco-friendly tourism, as well as the protection of marine turtles in Puerto Vallarta. For additional information visit his Web page at www.vallartanature.org.
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