Who doesn’t love to see a puffer fish on a dive — or anywhere, for that matter? Puffer fish are just delightful little creatures to behold. They are generally curious of divers when we float into their realm, and if their curiosity has been satisfied up close, they don’t skitter away to the darkest corners of the reef. Although their notoriety comes predominantly from their spiky inflated display of defensive behavior, the real threat they pose to humans is the tetrodotoxin found in their organs, many or all of which are considered a delicacy in Asian cultures. Curiously, the tetrodotoxin comes not from the puffer fish itself, but rather from the shellfish it preys upon, whose toxins are stored away in the fish’s organs. No matter where the toxins come from, take care if you should ever dine on the puffer fish — it is considered to be the second most poisonous vertebrate in the world!
via quinet
via wwarby
via spakattacks
via Gore Fiendus (Jerry Frausto)
via prilfish
via davebrenner
via souldude
via Paul Albertella
via NOAA, Ocean Explorer
o/
yeah, but I’m not gonna eat them !!
– Horrid looking little fish and then some idiot picks them up which stresses them out. Unless you’re going to eat it, LEAVE STUFF ALONE DOWN THERE! How would you like it if someone came to your house chasing you around, poking at you, hey wait a minute, that might not be too bad. Nevermind.
What you are showing in your pic is actually a cowfish
i love em! on my dinner plate
I’ve seen them on every dive I’ve done down in San Carlos, Mexico! I get excited every time!
Long as they are not described as Fugu!!
Oops, right you are, Dave! We’ll fix that in a bit. Thanks for pointing it out
How can you not love a fish that smiles at you?
How can you not love a fish that smiles at you?
Hand raised!!
I think we saw this guys cousin in Bonaire, & he was not feeling social that night! (the picture in the article is accurate)
Puffers are shy. I have to question the relationship between the cowfish and puffer lookalike. I’m not an expert but Humann & Deloach pictures a difference. But thanks for pics. Underwater creations.