Pufferfish are slow and clumsy swimmers because they need to combine all their fins (i.e., caudal, anal, pectoral and dorsal) to move. Although this means they can maneuver easily, it reduces their speed and makes them easy targets. Interestingly, the tail fin of pufferfish can thrust the fish forward at top speed when needed.
All pufferfish species have an innate ability to inflate themselves like balloons when threatened, disturbed, or to avoid predators. Because they cannot outrun most predators, they inflate themselves to make it harder for the predator to attach or swallow them. When a pufferfish feels threatened or encounters a predator, it fills its elastic stomach with large quantities of water or air until it has fully inflated like a balloon. Obviously, this is how these fish get their name—because of their ability to “puff” up!
Even if a predator catches them before they inflate, pufferfish can still pack a punch by choking the predator, or worse, by poisoning it. Pufferfish are highly toxic, which is their second natural defense. Most species of pufferfish contain a toxic substance known as tetrodotoxin, which is lethal to predators. This substance is not produced by the fish on its own, but is instead synthesized by bacteria such as Pseudomonas and Actinomyces, which are found in pufferfish habitats.
Now here is something that will blow your mind. Despite their toxicity, dolphins intentionally nibble on pufferfish to get high! Yes, you read that right! Recently, when a group of naturalists were filming dolphin pods, they noticed peculiar behavior among the youngsters. The young dolphins would carefully tear into pufferfish to make it release its toxin. They would then pass on the meat to other members of the pod after chewing it gently. The dolphins had figured out a way to make the fish release a small amount of toxin, just enough to put the dolphins in a trance-like and “altered” state, yet not kill them!
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This piece was prepared online by Panuruji Kenta, Publisher, SEVENSEAS Media