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-- P u f f e r s ( f i s h ) --
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| Q 1. | ||
| Is it true that some fishes bury themselves in the sand at night? |
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| Q 2. | ||
| What species of fish are sometimes made into lanterns? |
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| Q 3. | ||
| Is the rabbit fish that we catch on party or “head” boat trips good to eat? |
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| Q 4. | ||
| One of my neighbors fed some raw blow-fish to his two kittens early in the evening and found the kittens dead the next morning. Is the blow-fish poisonous when eaten raw at this time of year? |
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| Q 5. | ||
| I have been told by many people that the fish I call blow fish are good eating, and yet others tell me that they are called puffers and are poisonous. The fish to which I refer inflate themselves like a balloon and have a skin like sandpaper. They also have teeth like a clamp and bite down on the hook when they are caught. Is there such a fish as the poisonous puffer? If there is, how does it differ from a blow fish? Also, which one is edible? |
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| Q 6. | ||
| For many years we have been catching blow-fish in the coastal waters from New Jersey to Massachusetts and have eaten the meat of these fish and have found it to be both tender and delectable. Is there any chance of poisoning after blow-fish are cooked? |
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| Q 7. | ||
| Could you tell me the mechanism by which members of the family Tetradontidae (puffers), inflate themselves? Is it through an air bladder connected directly to the gut? |
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| Q 8. | ||
| A recent book I've read listed the rabbitfish as an excellent food fish and stated that it has some sort of poisonous sack. Can you tell me where this sack is located and how it can be identified? Would this same procedure apply to the blowfish which was also listed as an excellent food fish? |
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| Q 9. | ||
| According to an article we recently read, blowfish are poisonous to eat. Many people, including myself, skin the back of this fish and remove two white tenderloins, one on each side of the spine. The quality and texture of this meat is similar to scallops. It is known by a variety of names, including "Chicken of the Sea." In many of the tide-water areas around the Chesapeake Bay it is considered a delicacy. Would you care to comment on the allegation that this fish is poisonous? |
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| Q 10. | ||
| I have heard that fishes known as puffers are a delicacy. In a recent magazine article, however, the statement was made that puffers are highly poisonous. Should we or should we not eat puffers that we catch? |
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| Q 11. | ||
| I recently read a newspaper article stating that the blowfish was excellent table fare, if you did not eat the liver or roe. Is this true? I thought the whole fish, was poisonous. |
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| Q 12. | ||
| The enclosed photograph shows a curious animal I found along the beach on St. Kitts, West Indies. It is approximately 4 inches in length and has a soft body covered with soft rays. Can you identify it and provide information on its means of propulsion and use of its beak in feeding? |
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| Q 13. | ||
| In "Puffers: A Taste of Death," Sea Frontiers, Vol. 22, No.6, it is suggested that some American species might be poisonous to eat. Yet, I have eaten them for nearly 50 years in the Chesapeake Bay region with no ill effects. Am I, in fact, risking my life to do so? |
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| Q 14. | ||
| In Peconic Boy; Long Island, New York, there is a 10-inch-long fish called the swellbelly. Instead of scales, this fish has rough, sandpapery skin and, when frightened, it puffs into a ball. Can you provide information about this strange fish? |
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| Q 15. | ||
| During a dive trip to Australia, I photographed this greenish-yellow fish at Flinders Reef in the Coral Sea. I think it is a pufferfish. Can you provide an exact identity? |
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| Q&A 1. | Is it true that some fishes bury themselves in the sand at night? |
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| Yes. The best-known among these are the puffers (Tetraodontidae), and the wrasses (Labridae), both of which, will often conceal themselves in the sand during the daytime. The puffers bury themselves with a rapid, sidewise movement of the body and tail, leaving only the eyes and a portion of the back exposed. Wrasses often bury themselves completely for the night, and several specimens kept in an aquarium tank will disappear completely on the approach of darkness. |
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| Q&A 2. | What species of fish are sometimes made into lanterns? |
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| In the Orient, specimens of the puffer of blowfish family, Tetraodontidae, have their skins stretched and dried, following which a light is placed inside the hollow skin. The larger spiny porcupinefishes, (Diodontidae) are sometimes treated in this way as well. Both these groups of fishes have the remarkable habit of inflating the body with water or air in time of danger and thus making themselves too large to be swallowed by a would-be predator. |
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| Q&A 3. | Is the rabbit fish that we catch on party or “head” boat trips good to eat? Fort Myers, Florida |
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| The fish to which you refer is probably the smooth puffer Lagocephalus laevigatus. The species ranges widely along the Atlantic Sea coast from Massachusetts to Brazil. Specimens have been taken measuring two feet in length. The common name rabbit fish comes from the eyes and the teeth, both of which resemble those of the rabbit. The flesh is widely eaten and it is said to be palatable and tender. There is a danger in eating the flesh from any of the puffers, however, since they are known to have caused violent poisoning. The exact nature of the poison is not understood, but is thought to have its origin in the gut, and more likely, the liver. If the rabbit fish is to be eaten care must be taken that the flesh does not touch the internal organs. Cleanly cut fillets from freshly caught fish should be safe. The fillets should be thoroughly cooked to destroy any alkaloid chemicals present. |
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| Q&A 4. | One of my neighbors fed some raw blow-fish to his two kittens early in the evening and found the kittens dead the next morning. Is the blow-fish poisonous when eaten raw at this time of year? Miami, Florida |
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| Puffer or blow-fish poisoning differs from poisoning due to other fishes in that the poison is not acquired through the food of the fish but originates in the fish itself. For this reason, it is dangerous all year round. Some of the internal organs of the fish are especially poisonous, although the flesh of at least some puffers is edible and regarded as a delicacy in some parts of the world. However, puffer poisoning is frequently fatal and it would probably be wise to avoid eating the fish or feeding them to pets. |
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| Q&A 5. | I have been told by many people that the fish I call blow fish are good eating, and yet others tell me that they are called puffers and are poisonous. The fish to which I refer inflate themselves like a balloon and have a skin like sandpaper. They also have teeth like a clamp and bite down on the hook when they are caught. Is there such a fish as the poisonous puffer? If there is, how does it differ from a blow fish? Also, which one is edible? Melbourne, Florida |
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| There is no question about the toxicity of puffers or balloon fishes. The poison is not found in the flesh, however, but in the viscera (especially the roe) and in the skin. Since most people do not eat these parts, they will tell you that the puffer is not poisonous. However, if the fish is not carefully cleaned, there is always the possibility of contamination of the muscle tissue with toxin from the viscera or skin. It is not possible to state which species of puffers are more poisonous than others; much work remains to be done on these fishes. Puffer poisoning is a distinct type of fish poisoning. Puffers apparently manufacture their own toxin and they are invariably toxic. |
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| Q&A 6. | For many years we have been catching blow-fish in the coastal waters from New Jersey to Massachusetts and have eaten the meat of these fish and have found it to be both tender and delectable. Is there any chance of poisoning after blow-fish are cooked? New York, New York |
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| There is no question about the toxicity of at least some puffers and porcupine fishes. Probably the toxicity varies with the species. The toxin appears to be concentrated in certain of the internal organs, especially the gonads and liver, and possibly also in the skin. The flesh of many puffers is nontoxic if uncontaminated by the poisonous organs during cleaning. Certainly it is eaten by many persons without harmful effect. In the United States the internal organs of fishes are rarely eaten, hence the number of cases of poisoning are few. In Japan, however, an average of about twenty persons die each year from eating puffers. The poisonous qualities are unaffected by cooking. |
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| Q&A 7. | Could you tell me the mechanism by which members of the family Tetradontidae (puffers), inflate themselves? Is it through an air bladder connected directly to the gut? Riverside, California |
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| The members of the family Tetradontidae inflate a sac which is a ventral diverticulum (or blind tube) of the stomach, and which is partially separated from the stomach by a sphincter-like ring which may be opened or closed thus controlling the inflation of the sac. Water or air is taken into the sac by lowering the ceratohyals (bonelike structures which help support the gills), thus filling the cavity of the mouth. This water or air is then forced into the sac by elevating the ceratohyals, and the sphincter-like ring and pylorus close off the entrance, keeping the sac inflated. During the period of inflation, the mouth and gills are able to continue normal functions without disturbing the sac or its contents. Relaxation of the restricting ring, allows the sac to be emptied. As far as is known, this inflation is used only as a defense mechanism. In some species of the related family Diodontidae the expansion of the body erects skin spines as an additional defense. |
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| Q&A 8. | A recent book I've read listed the rabbitfish as an excellent food fish and stated that it has some sort of poisonous sack. Can you tell me where this sack is located and how it can be identified? Would this same procedure apply to the blowfish which was also listed as an excellent food fish? Pompano Beach, Florida |
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| The rabbitfish is a member of a large group or order of fishes including puffers, triggerfishes, boxfishes and the filefishes. Most members of the group produce poison as a result of their everyday life activities. These systematic poisons are concentrated in the internal organs, especially the liver, kidneys and gonads. There is considerable variation in the degree of toxicity, depending upon species, season and locality. Puffers are used for food in many parts of the world, and as a result of improper cleaning of the fish, there are numerous cases of poisoning and a fair incidence of death. For this reason, no part of the puffer is generally recommended for use as food. The rabbitfish, a puffer of fairly large proportions, is a species most often eaten along the Atlantic seaboard. Apparently the flesh itself is not toxic, but with so many good fishes in the sea, why take a chance with one that might kill you? Puffer poisoning is severe and the incidence is high. |
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| Q&A 9. | According to an article we recently read, blowfish are poisonous to eat. Many people, including myself, skin the back of this fish and remove two white tenderloins, one on each side of the spine. The quality and texture of this meat is similar to scallops. It is known by a variety of names, including "Chicken of the Sea." In many of the tide-water areas around the Chesapeake Bay it is considered a delicacy. Would you care to comment on the allegation that this fish is poisonous? Ellicott City, Maryland |
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| All blowfishes produce in their metabolic processes a poisonous substance. Some species are more poisonous than others. The poison is present in the internal organs, especially the liver, kidneys and gonads. To eat the tissues of these organs is to invite death. The subject of puffer poisoning (called Tetrodon poisoning) is discussed by Bruce Halstead in his book Dangerous Marine Animals, available from the International Oceanographic Foundation or your local book store. Two puffers are commonly eaten along the coast of the United States. One is the northern puffer, Sphoeroides maculatus, which is sold as sea squab or as puffer. The other is the smooth puffer, Lagodon laevigatus. The statement that poison results from carelessly cleaned fish is based on the fact that pieces of kidney and other poisonous organs may remain with the fish if one is not careful. |
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| Q&A 10. | I have heard that fishes known as puffers are a delicacy. In a recent magazine article, however, the statement was made that puffers are highly poisonous. Should we or should we not eat puffers that we catch? Metairie, Louisiana |
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| It is unfortunate that fishes as delicate in flavor as the puffers should be so poisonous. This is a widely distributed family with many Pacific species having been implicated in human deaths. Puffer, or Tetrodon, poisoning is the most virulent form of fish poisoning known. According to Dr. Bruce Halstead, who has assembled information on poisonous fishes from all over the world, the overall mortality for Tetrodon poisonings is about 60%. Puffers occur throughout warm and temperate seas. They are highly prized as food in Japan, and they even appear in the United States markets at times. However, in Japan during the 10-year period ending in 1937, over 900 deaths were recorded from Tetrodon poisoning. From 1949 to 1951 nearly 400 cases were recorded with a mortality of 51%. Tetrodon toxin from Pacific species has been studied extensively. It has recently been characterized chemically. Less information is available on the poisonous qualities of Atlantic puffers, but Dr. Edward Larson of the University of Miami has studied the toxicity of the common Atlantic puffer, Sphoeroides maculatus. Although Dr. Larson reports that the- toxicity of puffers from the Miami area was not as great as from other east coast locations studied, local puffers were sufficiently toxic to cause two recent deaths in Miami. According to Dr. Larson, the most toxic portion of the Florida fish is the skin, followed by the liver and gonads. We recommend that puffers not be eaten. |
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| Q&A 11. | I recently read a newspaper article stating that the blowfish was excellent table fare, if you did not eat the liver or roe. Is this true? I thought the whole fish, was poisonous. Baltimore, Maryland |
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| Your question is one that has long puzzled biologists. It is not known whether the northern blowfish in your area is the same species as the ones in the south. Also, we do not know whether the blowfish toxin results from the animal's food, which may not be the same in the north and the south, or whether it is produced by reproductive activity. The latter is the case with the poisonous blowfishes of the Indo-Pacific area. In these Indo-Pacific species, the liver, flesh, skin, gonads, stomach, and other parts of the fish are poisonous; the degree of toxicity, however, depends on the stage of gonadal development. A further discussion of toxic blowfishes will be found in Dangerous Marine Animals by Bruce W. Halstead, Cornell Maritime Press, Cambridge. |
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| Q&A 12. | The enclosed photograph shows a curious animal I found along the beach on St. Kitts, West Indies. It is approximately 4 inches in length and has a soft body covered with soft rays. Can you identify it and provide information on its means of propulsion and use of its beak in feeding? Anaheim, California |
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| Your photograph shows the balloonfish Diodon holacanthus. This spiny puffer is a common inhabitant of tropical waters. It grows to more than a foot in length and uses its hard parrot-like beak to crush shellfish of various types, including crabs and conchs. The long spines on the body are used in self defense and are erected when the fish inflates itself with water. The balloonfish swims primarily by a sculling action of its dorsal and anal fins. |
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| Q&A 13. | In "Puffers: A Taste of Death," Sea Frontiers, Vol. 22, No.6, it is suggested that some American species might be poisonous to eat. Yet, I have eaten them for nearly 50 years in the Chesapeake Bay region with no ill effects. Am I, in fact, risking my life to do so? Richmond, Virginia |
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| While the northern puffer (Sphoeroides maculatus) which ranges all along the east coast of the United States is consumed regularly and, in fact, a commercial fishery exists for this species in some areas (it is sold as "sea squab"), we still recommend that anglers be careful with and generally avoid the use of these fishes as food. The toxin of the northern puffer is concentrated in the intestines, kidneys, ovaries, and skin, so that proper cleaning lessens, but does not eliminate, the chances of danger. Dr. Bruce Halstead, author of Poisonous an.d Venomous Marine Animals of the World, has stated in correspondence that he would not guarantee that the flesh of this puffer never becomes poisonous. If so, no amount of care in cleaning the fish would remove the toxic materials. All of the species of Sphfroides in Florida waters have been found to contain toxins in the skin and viscera, and two species were positively identified to have poisonous flesh, according to an article published in the May, 1975, National Fisherman. Fatalities do occur (five were reported by Florida public health officials as occurring in Florida between 1951 and 1975). With so many other good-eating fishes in the ocean, why take a chance with species that just might kill you? |
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| Q&A 14. | In Peconic Boy; Long Island, New York, there is a 10-inch-long fish called the swellbelly. Instead of scales, this fish has rough, sandpapery skin and, when frightened, it puffs into a ball. Can you provide information about this strange fish? Mobile, Alabama |
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| Although we can't precisely identify the fish without actually seeing it, your description points to members of the puffer family Tetraodontidae. According to Atlantic Coast Fishes, at least four species in that family both reach a length of 10 inches and occur in northeastern United States: the smooth puffer (Lagocephalus laevigatus), the marbled puffer (Sphoeroides dorsalis), the checkered puffer (Sphoeroides testudineus) , and the northern puffer (Sphoeroides maculatus). Puffers inflate a sac that is a blind tube of the stomach. The fish control the inflation with a sphincterlike ring of muscle that separates the sac from the stomach. Contraction of the ring allows the fish to retain water or air forced into the sac, while relaxation of the ring allows the sac to empty. Puffers rely on inflation of the sac to increase their size and thereby discourage predators. Some puffer species bury in the sand instead. |
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| Q&A 15. | During a dive trip to Australia, I photographed this greenish-yellow fish at Flinders Reef in the Coral Sea. I think it is a pufferfish. Can you provide an exact identity? Wilmington, DE |
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| You photographed the map, or scribbled, puffer (Arothron mappa), which gets its common name from the irregular black lines that nearly cover its body. This uncommon fish, which generally is spotted on coral reefs, lives in Indo-West Pacific waters. It belongs to the family Tetraodontidae and, like some of its relatives, is an omnivore that eats a variety of foods including sponges, gastropod mollusks, crabs, and algae. The map puffer can grow to about two feet in length. Puffers generally swallow water when attacked, or air when reeled in by a fisherman. This inflates a special sac (a blind tube of the stomach) and causes the fish to look much bigger. The fish controls the inflation with a sphincterlike ring of muscle that separates the sac from the stomach. By contracting the ring, the fish retains the water or air forced into the sac and, by relaxing the ring, it empties the sac. |
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Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science Library
University of Miami, FL USA 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, Florida 33149 Phone: 305 421 4060 Fax: 305 421 9306 E-mail: libcirc@rsmas.miami.edu |
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