Pufferfish

I am posting a little bit early today because it has been a beautiful day and I have spent most of the day gardening. I am now going for a walk on the beach.

Not all things found on the beach are beautiful as you see from this pufferfish.

Almost all pufferfish contain tetrodotoxin, a substance that makes them foul tasting and often lethal to fish. To humans, tetrodotoxin is deadly, up to 1,200 times more poisonous than cyanide.

The poison in one pufferfish is enough to wipe out 30 humans, and there's no known antidote. Yet, many people eat it. Called fugu in Japan, the meat of the pufferfish is a highly prized dish that is prepared by specially trained, licensed chefs.

I would guess that a fisherman hooked this sad specimen and left it on the beach. If a fisherman catches a pufferfish, they will never touch the spikes as they are highly toxic to humans and animals.

Just in case you haven't seen the update on my 'Any Ideas' photo a couple of days ago here is a link to what the eggs actually are.

https://365project.org/onewing/365/2019-08-16

Thanks to Jeannie, a friend of mine, who identified the eggs.

[Monique]

Very interesting find ! And Thank you for the explanation of yesterday’s pic 👍

[Beryl Lloyd]

Not a nice find today .

[Sue Cooper]

An interesting fish if not a beautiful one and thank you for providing us once again with some very interesting information. I will never choose this fish from the menu in a restaurant 😂

[Peter H]

Interesting about the puffer fish (never knew that) and also the snail eggs; I was particularly interested about the antibiotic. Fascinating.

[Margo]

Most interesting

[Rob Z]

Thanks for the interesting info. Amazing how they can be considered a delicacy in Japan. :)

[Dianne]

So scary how poisonous they are!

[Valerie Chesney]

Ooh! Keep right away! great capture though. Such interesting information on the eggs Babs....Thanks for sharing.

[Decima F]

Might be deadly, but it's a very pretty colour

[Diana]

They are normally quite beautiful, not so this one. Having lived in Japan for 10 years, hubby has eaten fugu. I was too chicken to try 😉. Great find and shot.

[Wylie]

That poor puffer fish looks like it had a hard time. I see them washed up occasionally but not that battered! Thanks for the info on the shell eggs. fascinating.

[Dione Giorgio]

The fishermen must have been very uncaring to leave it lying there for anyone to touch it, especially if unknowing children are around. But it makes a nice shot.

[Jacqueline]

Great photo and information Babs!

[Christopher Cox]

fascinating

[Corinne]

Cool beachcombing !

[Sally Ings]

He looks like he's taken quite a beating. Hopefully he will be safely removed from the beach and nobody get injured.

[bkb in the city]

Great find and Thanks for the info

[Peter]

Interesting image and narrative Babs one to treat the respect dead or alive :)

[gloria jones]

Interesting capture and information

[carol white]

Great capture and info

[Ann H. LeFevre]

Cool info on the eggs!! Sad end for the Pufferfish but such is life and death in the natural world. I knew they were highly toxic- but didn't know the poison of one fish could kill up to 30 people- yikes! I'm glad you didn't have to touch it to get this shot!

[Pat Knowles]

Ooh thanks for that info Babs....good to know your spring is round the corner even though you haven’t had any winter yet!!
This puffa fish looks an evil sort of guy...he’s even laughing in his death throes! You must have to be a careful chef in Japan!

[Carole Sandford]

I knew they were poisonous but didn’t realise they were that deadly! An interesting find nevertheless!

[haskar]

So sad. If not suitable for people you do not need to treat as trash.

[Helen Jane]

That is really interesting information but why on earth would anyone, knowing how poisonous this is, leave it on the beach?

[Pyrrhula]

`` Great`` shot of the fish. Did know the story. But still very interesting.

[Lou Ann]

How amazing that the purple eggs might be a “future antibiotic”! This fellow looks pretty rough!

[Babs]

@beryl @susiemc @peadar @777margo @robz @dide @happysnaps @princessm @pusspup @sangwann @jacqbb @christophercox @cocobella @salza @bkbinthecity @pcoulson @seattlite @carolmw @olivetreeann @happypat @carole_sandford @haskar @helenhall @pyrrhula
@ludwigsdiana Thanks. Not such a pretty picture today but not everything on the beach is beautiful. Someone had informed the beach patrol surf life rescue people that a pufferfish was on the beach and they come along with a big shovel and clear it off the beach. Anyone who is fishing on this beach generally won't touch a pufferfish unless absolutely necessary which is why they tend to get left on the beach.

I wouldn't fancy eating pufferfish even if the Japanese chefs are highly trained.

Your husband must be brave Diana to eat fugu. Did he enjoy it?

Glad I was able to find out what the eggs were in the previous photo, thanks to our friend Jeannie

[Marnie]

Oh yuck!!! No way would I touch, let alone eat this thing.

[Taffy]

It was interesting to read about this, and learn what the patrol has to do to get it off. Very scary thought. But a beauty of a fish.

[Kathy A]

Even though this is a nasty poisonous fish , its also quite beautiful in a funny sort of way.

[Diana]

@onewing He was a bit skeptical the first time Babs, but as his boss had ordered it he had to eat it. Apparently the taste is not that special and I don't think he had it again ;-)

[Jane Morley]

What happens if a dog finds it ,or a child does? Isn't it dangerous just leaving it there? ....just looked up the purple eggs, fascinating!

[Babs]

@chimfa If a dog or a child gets to it first it could be dangerous I suppose, but the sea patrol people scour the beach regularly and someone will have told them this is on the beach and they will come and remove it. Most people here know to stay away from pufferfish.