[Pufferfish, Blowfish, Boh-guh (korea),
Family Tetraodontidae, usually some species of genus Takifugu
(commonly Takifugu rubripes (photo)), Lagocephalus or
Sphoeroides but also Diodon]
A family of fish that puff up to several times their normal size when threatened, common in tropical seas, particularly near reefs. Fugu is considered a great delicacy in Japan (and Korea) where it is extremely expensive and served raw in highly decorative arrangements. It's prepared only by trained and licensed fugu chefs - because the eyes and internals are so toxic one fish can kill 30 people.
Non-toxic fugu can be farm raised because they don't make the poison
themselves, they have to consume certain bacteria to do it. Non-toxic
fugu has generated little interest - without the risk of death it's just
another fish. Puffers have long been eaten in
Florida but are now banned taken from some waters due to a different bacterial
toxin. Fugu is not considered threatened but is not generally marketed in
North America. Photo by Chris 73
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