Pufferfish second most poisonous vertebrates in the world
Pufferfish are usually thought to be the second most poisonous vertebrates in the world, after the golden poison frog. Certain internal organs, such as liver, and sometimes the skin, are extremely toxic to most animals when eaten; however, the meat of some species is considered a delicacy in Japan called as fugu, when prepared by chefs who be acquainted with which part is safe to eat and in what quantity. Pufferfish are poor swimmers, but can rapidly ingest huge amounts of water to turn them into a virtually inedible ball several times their normal size. Tetraodontidae is a family of primarily marine and estuarine fish of the order Tetraodontiformes. The family includes many common species, which are variously called pufferfish, puffers, balloonfish, blowfish, bubblefish, globefish, swellfish, toadfish, toadies, honey toads, sugar toads, and sea squab. They are morphologically alike to the closely related porcupinefish, which have large external spines contrasting the thinner, hidden spines of Tetraodontidae, which are only able to be seen when the fish has puffed up. The scientific name refers to the four large teeth, fused into an upper and lower plate, which are used for crushing the shells of crustaceans and mollusks, their natural prey.
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