View source for Biology:Tetraodontidae

{{Short description|Family of pufferfish}}
{{Automatic_taxobox
| name = Puffers<ref name="Froese" />
| fossil_range = [[Earth:Lutetian|Lutetian]]–[[Earth:Holocene|Holocene]]
| image = tetraodon-hispidus.jpg
| image_caption = Inflated [[Biology:White-spotted puffer|white-spotted puffer]]
| taxon = Tetraodontidae
| authority = Bonaparte, 1832
| subdivision_ranks = Genera
| subdivision = See text
| type_species = ''[[Biology:Tetraodon lineatus|Tetraodon lineatus]]''
| type_species_authority = [[Biography:Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], [[Biology:10th edition of Systema Naturae|1758]]
}}
[[File:Canthigaster valentini 1.jpg|thumb|right|[[Biology:Valentin's sharpnose puffer|Deflated Valentinni's sharpnose puffer]]]]

'''Tetraodontidae''' is a  family of primarily marine and estuarine fish of the [[Biology:Order|order]] [[Biology:Tetraodontiformes|Tetraodontiformes]]. The family includes many familiar species variously called '''pufferfish''', '''puffers''', '''balloonfish''', '''blowfish''', '''blowers''', '''blowies''', '''bubblefish''', '''globefish''', '''swellfish''', '''toadfish''', '''toadies''', '''toadle''', '''honey toads''', '''sugar toads''', and '''sea squab'''.<ref name="Froese">{{cite web|url=http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/FamilySummary.cfm?ID=448 |title=Family Tetraodontidae – Puffers |editor=Froese, R. |editor2=D. Pauly|publisher=FishBase|access-date=2017-08-23}}</ref> They are [[Biology:Morphology|morphologically]] similar to the closely related [[Biology:Porcupinefish|porcupinefish]], which have large external spines (unlike the thinner, hidden spines of the Tetraodontidae, which are only visible when the fish have puffed up). The scientific name refers to the four large teeth, fused into an upper and lower plate, which are used for crushing the hard shells of [[Biology:Crustacean|crustacean]]s and mollusks, their natural prey.

The majority of pufferfish species are toxic, while some are among the most poisonous [[Biology:Vertebrate|vertebrate]]s in the world. In certain species, the internal organs, such as the liver, and sometimes the skin, contain [[Chemistry:Tetrodotoxin|tetrodotoxin]], and are highly toxic to most animals when eaten; nevertheless, the meat of some species is considered [[Biology:Fugu|a delicacy]] in {{wipe|Japan}} (as 河豚, pronounced ''fugu''), [[Place:Korea|Korea]] (as 복, ''bok'', or 복어, ''bogeo''), and {{wipe|China}} (as 河豚, ''hétún'') when prepared by specially trained chefs who know which part is safe to eat and in what quantity. Other pufferfish species with nontoxic flesh, such as the [[Biology:Northern puffer|northern puffer]], ''Sphoeroides maculatus'', of Chesapeake Bay,<ref name="mcclane">{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaoffi0000mccl | url-access=registration | quote=the encyclopedia of fish cookery. | title=The Encyclopedia of Fish Cookery | publisher=Holt, Rinehart and Winston | author=McClane, A.J. | year=1977 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaoffi0000mccl/page/511 511] (p. 249) | isbn=978-0-03-015431-7}}</ref> are considered a delicacy elsewhere.<ref name=IUCNSphoeroides />

The species ''[[Biology:Torquigener albomaculosus|Torquigener albomaculosus]]'' was described by [[Biography:David Attenborough|David Attenborough]] as "the greatest artist of the animal kingdom" due to the males<nowiki>'</nowiki> unique habit of wooing females by [[Biology:Pufferfish mating ritual|creating nests in sand]] composed of complex geometric designs.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04q1rwy|title=Courtship, Life Story – BBC One|website=BBC|access-date=2017-10-05}}</ref>

== Genera ==
The Tetraodontidae contain 193 species of puffers in 28 genera:<ref name=Froese /><ref name="Eschmeyer">{{cite web | url =http://researcharchive.calacademy.org/research/ichthyology/catalog/SpeciesByFamily.asp | title =Species by family/subfamily in the Catalog of Fishes  | editor =Eschmeyer, WN | editor2 =Fong, JD | date =July 31, 2017 | publisher =California Academy of Sciences | access-date =2021-10-02}}</ref>

{{div col|colwidth=20em}}

* ''[[Biology:Amblyrhynchotes|Amblyrhynchotes]]'' <small>Troschel, 1856</small>
* ''[[Biology:Arothron|Arothron]]'' <small>Müller, 1841</small>
* ''[[Biology:Auriglobus|Auriglobus]]'' <small>Kottelat, 1999</small>
* ''[[Biology:Canthigaster|Canthigaster]]'' <small>Swainson, 1839</small>
* ''[[Biology:Carinotetraodon|Carinotetraodon]]'' <small>Benl, 1957</small>
* ''[[Biology:Chelonodon|Chelonodon]]'' <small>Müller, 1841</small>
* ''[[Biology:Chonerhinos|Chonerhinos]]'' <small>Bleeker, 1854</small>
* ''[[Biology:Colomesus|Colomesus]]'' <small>Gill, 1884</small>
* ''[[Biology:Contusus|Contusus]]'' <small>Whitley, 1947</small>
* ''[[Biology:Dichotomyctere|Dichotomyctere]]'' <small>Duméril, 1855</small>
* ''[[Biology:Ephippion|Ephippion]]'' <small>Bibron, 1855</small>
* ''[[Biology:Feroxodon|Feroxodon]]'' <small>Su, Hardy et Tyler, 1986</small>
* ''[[Biology:Guentheridia|Guentheridia]]'' <small>Gilbert et Starks, 1904</small>
* ''[[Biology:Javichthys|Javichthys]]'' <small>Hardy, 1985</small>
* ''[[Biology:Leiodon|Leiodon]]'' <small>Swainson, 1839</small>
* ''[[Biology:Lagocephalus|Lagocephalus]]'' <small>Swainson, 1839</small>
* ''[[Biology:Marilyna|Marilyna]]'' <small>Hardy, 1982</small>
* ''[[Biology:Omegophora|Omegophora]]'' <small>Whitley, 1934</small>
* ''[[Biology:Pelagocephalus|Pelagocephalus]]'' <small>Tyler & Paxton, 1979</small>
* ''[[Biology:Polyspina|Polyspina]]'' <small>Hardy, 1983</small>
* ''[[Biology:Pao (fish)|Pao]]'' <small>Kottelat, 2013</small>
* ''[[Biology:Reicheltia|Reicheltia]]'' <small>Hardy, 1982</small>
* ''[[Biology:Sphoeroides|Sphoeroides]]'' <small>Anonymous, 1798</small>
* ''[[Biology:Takifugu|Takifugu]]'' <small>Abe, 1949</small>
* ''[[Biology:Tetractenos|Tetractenos]]'' <small>Hardy, 1983</small>
* ''[[Biology:Tetraodon|Tetraodon]]'' <small>Linnaeus, 1758</small>
* ''[[Biology:Torquigener|Torquigener]]'' <small>Whitley, 1930</small>
* ''[[Biology:Tylerius|Tylerius]]'' <small>Hardy, 1984</small>

{{div col end}}

{{clr}}
<gallery style="text-align:center;" mode="packed">
File:Arothron stellatus Réunion.jpg|''[[Biology:Arothron stellatus|Arothron stellatus]]''
File:Canthigaster valentini prg1.jpg|''[[Biology:Canthigaster valentini|Canthigaster valentini]]''
File:Carinotetraodon irrubesco female.JPG|''[[Biology:Carinotetraodon irrubesco|Carinotetraodon irrubesco]]''
File:Colomesus.jpg|''[[Biology:Colomesus asellus|Colomesus asellus]]''
File:Ephippion guttifer crop.JPG|''[[Biology:Ephippion guttifer|Ephippion guttifer]]''
File:Lagocephalus lagocephalus.jpg|''[[Biology:Oceanic puffer|Lagocephalus lagocephalus]]''
File:Omegophora cyanopunctata Bluespotted toadfish PC290509.JPG|''[[Biology:Omegophora cyanopunctata|Omegophora cyanopunctata]]''
File:Bandtail puffer (Sphoeroides spengleri).jpg|''Sphoeroides spengleri''
File:Fugu in Tank.jpg|''[[Biology:Takifugu rubripes|Takifugu rubripes]]''
File:Smooth Toadfish-Tetractenos glaber.JPG|''Tetractenos glaber''
File:Goldringel-Kugelfisch.JPG|''Tetraodon mbu''
File:Carinotetraodon travancoricus by Parazelsus (cropped).jpg|''Carinotetraodon travancoricus''
</gallery>

== Morphology ==
Pufferfish are typically small to medium in size<!-- all round{{vague|date=June 2020}} -->, although a few species such as the [[Biology:Mbu pufferfish|Mbu pufferfish]]<!-- {{which|date=August 2017}} --> can reach lengths greater than {{convert|50|cm|in|abbr=on}}.<ref name=EoF>{{cite book |editor=Paxton, J.R. |editor2=Eschmeyer, W.N.|author1=Keiichi, Matsura  |author2=Tyler, James C. |name-list-style=amp |year=1998|title=Encyclopedia of Fishes|publisher= Academic Press|location=San Diego|pages= 230–231|isbn= 978-0-12-547665-2}}</ref>

[[Biology:Tetraodontiformes|Tetraodontiformes]], or pufferfish, are most significantly characterized by the beak-like four teeth – hence the name combining the Greek terms "tetra" for four and "odous" for tooth.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Puffer {{!}} fish {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/animal/puffer |access-date=2023-02-02 |work=Encyclopædia Britannica |language=en}}</ref> Each of the top and bottom arches is fused together with a visible midsagittal demarcation, which are used to break apart and consume small [[Biology:Crustacean|crustaceans]]. The lack of ribs, a pelvis, and pectoral fins are also unique to pufferfish. The notably missing bone and fin features are due to the pufferfish' specialized defense mechanism, expanding by sucking in water through an oral cavity.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Brainerd |first1=Elizabeth L. |last2=Patek |first2=Sheila N. |date=1998 |title=Vertebral Column Morphology, C-Start Curvature, and the Evolution of Mechanical Defenses in Tetraodontiform Fishes |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/1447344 |journal=Copeia |volume=1998 |issue=4 |pages=971–984 |doi=10.2307/1447344 |jstor=1447344 |issn=0045-8511}}</ref>

Pufferfish can also have many varied structures of [[Engineering:Caltrop|caltrop]]-like dermal spines, which account for the replacement of typical fish scales, and can range in coverage extent from the entire body, to leaving the frontal surface empty.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Shono |first1=Takanori |last2=Thiery |first2=Alexandre P. |last3=Cooper |first3=Rory L. |last4=Kurokawa |first4=Daisuke |last5=Britz |first5=Ralf |last6=Okabe |first6=Masataka |last7=Fraser |first7=Gareth J. |date=2019-09-27 |title=Evolution and Developmental Diversity of Skin Spines in Pufferfishes |journal=iScience |language=English |volume=19 |pages=1248–1259 |doi=10.1016/j.isci.2019.06.003 |issn=2589-0042 |pmc=6831732 |pmid=31353167|bibcode=2019iSci...19.1248S }}</ref> Tetraodontidae typically have smaller spines than the sister family [[Biology:Porcupinefish|Diodontidae]], with some spines not being visible until inflation.

== Distribution ==
They are most diverse in the tropics, relatively uncommon in the temperate zone, and completely absent from cold waters.<ref name=EoF />

== Ecology and life history ==
Most pufferfish species live in marine or brackish waters, but some can enter fresh water.  About 35 species spend their entire lifecycles in fresh water. These freshwater species are found in disjunct tropical regions of South America (''[[Biology:Colomesus asellus|Colomesus asellus]]'' and ''[[Biology:Colomesus tocantinensis|Colomesus tocantinensis]]''), Africa (six ''[[Biology:Tetraodon|Tetraodon]]'' species), and Southeast Asia (''[[Biology:Auriglobus|Auriglobus]]'', ''[[Biology:Carinotetraodon|Carinotetraodon]]'', ''[[Biology:Dichotomyctere|Dichotomyctere]]'', ''[[Biology:Leiodon|Leiodon]]'' and ''[[Biology:Pao (fish)|Pao]]'').<ref>Kottelat, M. (2013): The Fishes of the Inland Waters of Southeast Asia: A Catalogue and Core Bibliography of the Fishes Known to Occur in Freshwaters, Mangroves and Estuaries. The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology, 2013, Supplement No. 27: 1–663.</ref><ref>Roberts, Tyson R. (1982). The Southeast Asian freshwater pufferfish genus Chonerhinos (Tetraodontidae), with descriptions of new species. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 43: 1–16.</ref>

=== Natural defenses ===
The puffer's unique and distinctive natural defenses help compensate for its slow locomotion. It moves by combining pectoral, dorsal, anal, and caudal fin motions. This makes it highly maneuverable, but very slow, so a comparatively easy predation target.  Its tail fin is mainly used as a rudder, but it can be used for a sudden evasive burst of speed that shows none of the care and precision of its usual movements.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Brainerd |first1=Elizabeth L. |last2=Patek |first2=Sheila N. |date=1998 |title=Vertebral Column Morphology, C-Start Curvature, and the Evolution of Mechanical Defenses in Tetraodontiform Fishes |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/1447344 |journal=Copeia |volume=1998 |issue=4 |pages=971–984 |doi=10.2307/1447344 |jstor=1447344 |issn=0045-8511}}</ref>  The puffer's excellent eyesight, combined with this speed burst, is the first and most important defense against predators.

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The pufferfish's secondary defense mechanism, used if successfully pursued, is to fill its extremely elastic [[Biology:Stomach|stomach]] with water (or air when outside the water) until it is much larger and almost [[Sphere|spherical]] in shape.  Even if they are not visible when the puffer is not inflated, all puffers have pointed spines, so a hungry predator may suddenly find itself facing an unpalatable, pointy ball rather than a slow, easy meal.  Predators that do not heed this warning (or are "lucky" enough to catch the puffer suddenly, before or during inflation) may die from choking, and predators that do manage to swallow the puffer may find their stomachs full of [[Chemistry:Tetrodotoxin|tetrodotoxin]] (TTX), making puffers an unpleasant, possibly lethal, choice of prey. This [[Chemistry:Neurotoxin|neurotoxin]] is found primarily in the [[Biology:Ovary|ovaries]] and [[Biology:Liver|liver]], although smaller amounts exist in the intestines and [[Biology:Skin|skin]], as well as trace amounts in muscle.  It does not always have a lethal effect on large predators, such as sharks, but it can kill humans.

Larval pufferfish are [[Biology:Chemical defense|chemically defended]] by the presence of TTX on the surface of skin, which causes predators to spit them out.<ref>{{Cite journal|date=2014-02-01|title=Larval pufferfish protected by maternal tetrodotoxin|journal=Toxicon|language=en|volume=78|pages=35–40|doi=10.1016/j.toxicon.2013.11.003|pmid=24279996|issn=0041-0101|last1=Itoi|first1=Shiro|last2=Yoshikawa|first2=Saori|last3=Asahina|first3=Kiyoshi|last4=Suzuki|first4=Miwa|last5=Ishizuka|first5=Kento|last6=Takimoto|first6=Narumi|last7=Mitsuoka|first7=Ryoko|last8=Yokoyama|first8=Naoto|last9=Detake|first9=Ayumi|last10=Takayanagi|first10=Chie|last11=Eguchi|first11=Miho|last12=Tatsuno|first12=Ryohei|last13=Kawane|first13=Mitsuo|last14=Kokubo|first14=Shota|last15=Takanashi|first15=Shihori|last16=Miura|first16=Ai|last17=Suitoh|first17=Katsuyoshi|last18=Takatani|first18=Tomohiro|last19=Arakawa|first19=Osamu|last20=Sakakura|first20=Yoshitaka|last21=Sugita|first21=Haruo|doi-access=free|hdl=10069/34069|hdl-access=free}}</ref>

Not all puffers are necessarily poisonous; the flesh of the [[Biology:Northern puffer|northern puffer]] is not toxic (a level of poison can be found in its viscera) and it is considered a delicacy in North America.<ref name=IUCNSphoeroides>{{Cite iucn | author = Shao, K. | author2 = Liu, M. | author3 = Hardy, G. | author4 = Jing, L. | author5 = Leis, J.L. | author6 = Matsuura, K. | name-list-style=amp | title = ''Sphoeroides maculatus'' | volume = 2014 | page = e.T190246A1945870 | date = 2014 | doi = 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2014-3.RLTS.T190246A1945870.en }}</ref> ''[[Biology:Takifugu oblongus|Takifugu oblongus]]'', for example, is a ''[[Biology:Fugu|fugu]]'' puffer that is not poisonous,{{cn|date=March 2023}} and toxin level varies widely even in fish that are. A puffer's neurotoxin is not necessarily as toxic to other animals as it is to humans, and puffers are eaten routinely by some species of fish, such as lizardfish<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ocean-photo.de/ansicht-_verhalten-12-rdi_0167.htm |title=Unterwasserfotos – Ocean-Photo |publisher=Ocean-photo.de |access-date=2012-09-07}}</ref> and [[Biology:Shark|shark]]s.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.keywestaquarium.com/puffer-fish |title=Big poison, little fish|publisher=Key West Aquarium, Florida|date=2019 |access-date=21 May 2019}}</ref>

Puffers are able to move their eyes independently, and many species can change the color or intensity of their patterns in response to environmental changes. In these respects, they are somewhat similar to the terrestrial [[Biology:Chameleon|chameleon]]. Although most puffers are drab, many have bright colors and distinctive markings,<ref name="EoF" /> and make no attempt to hide from predators. This is likely an example of honestly signaled [[Earth:Aposematism|aposematism]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Blount |first1=Jonathan D. |last2=Speed |first2=Michael P. |last3=Ruxton |first3=Graeme D. |last4=Stephens |first4=Philip A. |title=Warning displays may function as honest signals of toxicity |journal=Proceedings of the Royal Society B |date=2009 |volume=276 |issue=1658 |pages=871–877 |doi=10.1098/rspb.2008.1407 |pmid=19019790 |pmc=2664363}}</ref>

[[Biology:Dolphin|Dolphin]]s have been filmed expertly handling pufferfish amongst themselves in an apparent attempt to get intoxicated or enter a trance-like state.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/dolphins-seem-to-use-toxic-pufferfish-to-get-high-180948219/ |title=Dolphins Seem to Use Toxic Pufferfish to Get High |last=Nuwer |first=Rachel |work=Smithsonian.com |date=2013-12-30 |access-date=2019-04-16}}</ref>

=== Reproduction ===

Many marine puffers have a pelagic, or open-ocean, life stage. Spawning occurs after males slowly push females to the water surface or join females already present. The eggs are spherical and buoyant. Hatching occurs after roughly four days. The fry are tiny, but under magnification have a shape usually reminiscent of a pufferfish.  They have a functional mouth and eyes, and must eat within a few days.  Brackish-water puffers may breed in bays in a manner similar to marine species, or may breed more similarly to the freshwater species, in cases where they have moved far enough upriver.

Reproduction in freshwater species varies quite a bit. The [[Biology:Dwarf pufferfish|dwarf puffers]] court with males following females, possibly displaying the crests and keels unique to this subgroup of species.  After the female accepts his advances, she will lead the male into plants or another form of cover, where she can release eggs for fertilization. The male may help her by rubbing against her side.  This has been observed in captivity, and they are the only commonly captive-spawned puffer species.

Target-group puffers have also been spawned in aquaria, and follow a similar courting behavior, minus the crest/keel display. Eggs are laid, though, on a flat piece of slate or other smooth, hard material, to which they adhere. The male will guard them until they hatch, carefully blowing water over them regularly to keep the eggs healthy. His parenting is finished when the young hatch and the fry are on their own.

In 2012, males of the species ''[[Biology:Torquigener albomaculosus|Torquigener albomaculosus]]'' were documented while carving large and complex geometric, circular structures in the seabed sand in Amami Ōshima, Japan. The structures serve to attract females and to provide a safe place for them to lay their eggs.<ref name="ibt">{{cite web|url=http://www.ibtimes.com/japan-underwater-%E2%80%98crop-circles%E2%80%99-mystery-finally-solved-794461|title=Japan Underwater 'Crop Circles' Mystery Finally Solved|author=Heller, Jill|date=September 21, 2012|website=International Business Times|access-date=September 23, 2012}}</ref>

Information on breeding of specific species is very limited. ''T. nigroviridis'', the green-spotted puffer, has recently been spawned artificially under captive conditions. It is believed to spawn in bays in a similar manner to saltwater species, as their sperm was found to be motile only at full marine salinities, but wild breeding has never been observed. ''[[Biology:Chonerhinos naritus|Xenopterus naritus]]'' has been reported to be the first bred artificially in Sarawak, Northwestern Borneo, in June 2016, and the main purpose was for development of aquaculture of the species.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Ahmad Nasir|first=Ahmad Syafiq|year=2016|title=The first reported artificial propagation of yellow puffer, Xenopterus naritus (Richardson, 1848) from Sarawak, Northwestern Borneo|journal=Aquaculture Research|volume=48|issue=8|pages=4582–4589|doi=10.1111/are.13103|url=http://ir.unimas.my/12537/1/The-first-reported%209abstract%29.pdf}}</ref>

=== Diet ===
Pufferfish diets can vary depending on their environment. Traditionally, their diet consists mostly of algae and small invertebrates. They can survive on a completely vegetarian diet if their environment is lacking resources, but prefer an omnivorous food selection. Larger species of pufferfish are able to use their beak-like front teeth to break open clams, mussels, and other shellfish. Some species of pufferfish have also been known to enact various hunting techniques ranging from ambush to open-water hunting.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.ourbeautifulplanet.org/animals/interesting-facts-about-puffer-fish/|title=Puffer Fish: Fun Facts & Photos of Puffer Fish – (Tetraodontidae)|date=2017-02-07|work=Our Beautiful Planet|access-date=2017-03-30|language=en-US}}</ref>

<gallery mode="packed" heights="200px" caption="Spots, stripes and elaborations">
File:Arothron hispidus Prague 2011 1.jpg|[[Biology:White-spotted puffer|White-spotted puffer]]
File:Arothron manilensis.jpg|[[Biology:Arothron manilensis|Striped puffer]]
File:Giant Puffer fish skin pattern.JPG|Elaborate [[Patterns in nature|skin pattern]] of the giant or mbu puffer
</gallery>

== Evolution ==
The tetraodontids have been estimated to have diverged from diodontids between 89 and 138 million years ago. The four major clades diverged during the [[Earth:Cretaceous|Cretaceous]] between 80 and 101 million years ago.  The oldest known pufferfish genus is ''[[Biology:Eotetraodon|Eotetraodon]]'', from the [[Earth:Lutetian|Lutetian]] epoch of Middle [[Earth:Eocene|Eocene]] Europe, with fossils found in [[Earth:Monte Bolca|Monte Bolca]] and the [[Place:Caucasus Mountains|Caucasus Mountains]].  The Monte Bolca species, ''E. pygmaeus'', coexisted with several other tetraodontiforms, including an extinct species of diodontid, primitive boxfish (''[[Biology:Proaracana|Proaracana]]'' and ''[[Biology:Eolactoria|Eolactoria]]''), and other, totally extinct forms, such as ''[[Biology:Zignoichthys|Zignoichthys]]'' and the [[Biology:Spinacanthidae|spinacanthids]].<ref name=Alfaro>{{cite journal | last1 = Alfaro | first1 = Michael E. | last2 = Santini | first2 = Francesco | last3 = Brock | first3 = Chad D. | year = 2007 | title = Do reefs drive diversification in marine teleosts? Evidence from the pufferfish and their allies (Order Tetraodontiformes) | journal = Evolution | volume = 61 | issue = 9| pages = 2104–2126 | doi=10.1111/j.1558-5646.2007.00182.x| pmid = 17915358 | s2cid = 39231771 }}</ref><ref name=Santini>{{cite journal | last1 = Santini | first1 = Francesco | last2 = Tyler | first2 = James C. | year = 2003 | title = A phylogeny of the families of fossil and extant tetraodontiform fishes (Acanthomorpha, Tetraodontiformes), Upper Cretaceous to recent | url = https://academic.oup.com/zoolinnean/article-pdf/139/4/565/17024692/j.1096-3642.2003.00088.x.pdf| journal = Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society | volume = 139 | issue = 4| pages = 565–617 | doi=10.1111/j.1096-3642.2003.00088.x| doi-access = free }}</ref>  The extinct genus, ''Archaeotetraodon'' is known from Miocene-aged fossils from Europe.

== Poisoning ==
Pufferfish can be lethal if not served properly. Puffer poisoning usually results from consumption of incorrectly prepared puffer soup, ''fugu chiri'', or occasionally from raw puffer meat, ''[[Biology:Fugu|sashimi fugu]]''. While ''chiri'' is much more likely to cause death, ''sashimi fugu'' often causes intoxication, light-headedness, and numbness of the lips.<ref name="Yong Quek Lim Ngo 2013 p. ">{{cite journal | last1=Yong | first1=Y. S. | last2=Quek | first2=L. S. | last3=Lim | first3=E. K. | last4=Ngo | first4=A. | title=A Case Report of Puffer Fish Poisoning in Singapore | journal=Case Reports in Medicine | volume=2013 | date=2013-12-04 | page=206971 | issn=1687-9627 | doi=10.1155/2013/206971| pmid=24368916 | pmc=3867830 | doi-access=free }}</ref> Pufferfish tetrodotoxin deadens the tongue and lips, and induces dizziness and vomiting, followed by numbness and prickling over the body, rapid heart rate, decreased [[Physics:Blood pressure|blood pressure]], and muscle [[Engineering:Paralysis|paralysis]]. The toxin paralyzes the diaphragm muscle and stops the person who has ingested it from breathing. People who live longer than 24 hours typically survive, although possibly after a [[Medicine:Coma|coma]] lasting several days.

The source of tetrodotoxin in puffers has been a matter of debate,<ref>Lehman, Elizabeth M. (2006). ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=mShBpFb-ziAC&q=controversial Egg Toxicity and Egg Predation in Rough-Skinned Newts]'' (Doctoral dissertation). Proquest Dissertations and Theses database. UMI No.: 3229594. pp. 32–33.</ref> but it is increasingly accepted that bacteria in the fish's intestinal tract are the source.<ref name=Shibamoto>{{cite book|last=Shibamoto|first=Takayuki|title=Introduction to Food Toxicology|year=2009|publisher=Academic Press/Elsevier|location=Amsterdam|isbn=978-0-12-374286-5|page=105|edition=2nd|author2=Bjeldanes, Leonard }}</ref>

[[Chemistry:Saxitoxin|Saxitoxin]], the cause of [[Medicine:Paralytic shellfish poisoning|paralytic shellfish poisoning]] and [[Biology:Red tide|red tide]], can also be found in certain puffers.

<gallery mode="packed" heights="200px">
File:Puffer Fish DSC01257.JPG|''Arothron hispidus'' at Big Island of Hawaii
File:Puffer fish -Costa Rica-8.jpg|Man with a [[Biology:Arothron meleagris|guineafowl puffer]] in Costa Rica
File:2 pufferfish.jpg|Fisherman handpicks a puffer from his day's catch before throwing it back to prevent poisoning. Tarkwa bay, [[Place:Lagos|Lagos]]
</gallery>

=== Philippines ===
In September 2012, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources in the {{wipe|Philippines}} issued a warning not to eat puffer fish, after local fishermen died upon consuming puffer fish for dinner. The warning indicated that puffer fish toxin is 100 times more potent than [[Chemistry:Cyanide|cyanide]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/265874/bfar-renews-warning-vs-eating-puffer-fish |title=BFAR renews warning vs. eating puffer fish |author=Julie S. Alipala |newspaper=Philippine Daily Inquirer |date=2012-09-07 |access-date=2012-09-07}}</ref>

=== Thailand ===

Pufferfish, called ''pakapao'' in Thailand, are usually consumed by mistake.  They are often cheaper than other fish, and because they contain inconsistent levels of toxins between fish and season, there is little awareness or monitoring of the danger. Consumers are regularly hospitalized and some even die from the poisoning.

=== United States ===

Cases of neurological symptoms, including numbness and tingling of the lips and mouth, have been reported to rise after the consumption of puffers caught in the area of Titusville, Florida, US. The symptoms generally resolve within hours to days, although one affected individual required [[Medicine:Intubation|intubation]] for 72 hours.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Neurologic Illness Associated with Eating Florida Pufferfish, 2002|journal=Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report|date=19 April 2002 |volume=51 |issue=15 |pmid=11990235|url=https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5115a1.htm|access-date=30 July 2016|author1=Centers for Disease Control Prevention (CDC)|pages=321–3}}</ref>  As a result, Florida banned the harvesting of puffers from certain bodies of water.<ref>{{cite web |title=Prohibition on Take of Puffer Fish in Volusia, Brevard, Indian River, St. Lucie, and Martin Counties|url=http://myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/recreational/puffer-fish-prohibition/ |publisher=Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission|access-date=30 July 2016}}</ref>

===Treatment ===
Treatment is mainly supportive and consists of intestinal decontamination with gastric lavage and activated charcoal, and life-support until the toxin is metabolized. Case reports suggest anticholinesterases such as [[Chemistry:Edrophonium|edrophonium]] may be effective.{{Citation needed|date=December 2013}}

== See also ==
* [[Organization:OpenBSD|OpenBSD]] – 4.4 BSD based Unix-Like Operating System
* Shimonoseki – Japanese city known for its locally caught pufferfish
* Toado – common Australian name for local varieties of pufferfish

== References ==

{{Reflist|30em}}

== Further reading ==
* {{cite journal | last1 = Arreola | first1 = V.I. | last2 = Westneat | first2 = M.W. | year = 1996 | title = Mechanics of propulsion by multiple fins: kinematics of aquatic locomotion in the burrfish (Chilomycterus schoepfi) | journal = Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B | volume = 263 | issue = 1377| pages = 1689–1696 | doi=10.1098/rspb.1996.0247| bibcode = 1996RSPSB.263.1689A | s2cid = 109972375 }}
* Ebert, Klaus (2001): The Puffers of Fresh and Brackish Water, Aqualog, {{ISBN|3-931702-60-X}}.
* {{cite journal | last1 = Gordon | first1 = M.S. | last2 = Plaut | first2 = I. | last3 = Kim | first3 = D. | year = 1996 | title = How puffers (Teleostei: Tetraodontidae) swim | journal = Journal of Fish Biology | volume = 49 | issue = 2| pages = 319–328 | doi=10.1006/jfbi.1996.0157}}
* {{cite journal | last1 = Plaut | first1 = I. | last2 = Chen | first2 = T. | year = 2003 | title = How small puffers (Teleostei: Tetraodontidae) swim | doi = 10.1007/s10228-002-0153-3 | journal = Ichthyological Research | volume =  50| issue = 2| pages = 149–153 | s2cid = 33832068 }}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q201701}}

[[Category:Tetraodontidae| ]]
[[Category:Aposematic animals]]
[[Category:Ray-finned fish families]]

{{Sourceattribution|Tetraodontidae}}