Pufferfish Facts

About the pufferfish

Pufferfish go by a long list of names, including blowfish, balloonfish, globefish, swellfish and toadfish. They look a lot like their relatives the porcupinefish, but their spines are thin and hidden, showing only when the fish puffs up. The family name comes from Greek words for four and tooth, a nod to the four teeth found in the type genus.

Many species carry tetrodotoxin in organs like the liver, and sometimes in the skin, which can poison most animals that eat them. Even so, the meat of some kinds is a prized dish in Japan, where it is called fugu, as well as in Korea and China. Only specially trained chefs prepare it, since they know which parts are safe and how much to serve. Some species, like the northern puffer of the Chesapeake Bay, have flesh with no toxin.

Did you know?

• In Korea, pufferfish served as food is called bok or bogeo.
• Some pufferfish go by cute names like honey toads and sugar toads.
• The pufferfish family includes both marine and freshwater species.