Recently, scientists have confirmed India’s first case of freshwater pufferfish poisoning.
About Pufferfish:
Pufferfish belong to the order Tetraodontiformes.
Other names: They are locally known by names such as toadfish, patkafish, balloonfish and fugu.
Habitat: Pufferfish are omnivorous and benthic in habitat.
Distribution: It is primarily found in the Western Ghats and major basins such as the Ganga, Brahmaputra and Mahanadi.
Freshwater pufferfish species reported from India are often endemic to specific geographical areas and serve as indicators of healthy river ecosystems.
They can inflate into a ball shape to evade predators.
Conservation Status of Pufferfish:
IUCN: Vulnerable
Pufferfish Poisoning:
Some puffer fish carry tetrodotoxin (TTX) which is one of the most potent neurotoxins known in nature.
Tetrodotoxin blocks nerve sodium channels and can cause paralysis, respiratory failure and death.
Evidence suggests that pufferfish do not synthesise the toxin themselves.
Instead, TTX is believed to originate from symbiotic or ingested bacteria such as Vibrio, Pseudomonas, Aeromonas and Bacillus.
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