Puffer fish (Tetraodontidae) By Luise Schoenknecht and Gina Ebersole

Appearance I can vary in size from the one inch long pygmy puffer, to the two foot long freshwater giant puffer. My rough skin comes in a variety of colors including grey, yellow, blue, white, and brown.

Unique Features I am best known for inflating when I feel threatened and sticking out my sharp, poisonous spikes. Some species are able to change color to match their environment, and our eyes can move independently of each other.

Location I am found near the Equator in shallow waters and coral reefs. I can live in fresh, brackish, and salt water.

Feeding Habits & Predators I eat red worms, algae, clams, fish, and other small shellfish and invertebrates found in my habitat. My predators include humans, sharks, and large fish.

Defenses Since I’m a rather slow swimmer, I have developed a very special defense mechanism. When threatened, I suck in water to puff myself up, becoming 2-3 times my normal size. This sticks out my sharp, poisonous spikes to hurt and keep away enemies. Fish keepers are not encouraged to provoke their puffer fish to puff though, since it puts tremendous stress on our bodies.

Defenses (cont.) We also have two forward facing eyes, which are very good and can move independently of each other. Many species can change the color or intensity of their patterns in response to environmental changes, similar to chameleons.

Threats to Puffer Fish We are endangered, with our numbers steadily declining over the years. This is largely due to our popularity in Japan, since we’re used for an expensive dish called Fugu. Japanese Fugu

Reproduction We reproduce sexually. The female lays the eggs on a surface. Then the male comes and fertilizes them. Hatching occurs after roughly four days. Female puffer fish lay 3-7 eggs, depending on the species. We mate just once a year. ;)

Puffer Fish (normal)

Puffer Fish (puffed)

Fun Facts! We only have four teeth! They are fused together to form a beak. There are over 120 species of puffer fish. Some of us carry enough toxin to kill 30 grown men. Sharks are the only species immune to our toxin. Dolphins deliberately “get high” off of us.

Fun Facts! Although most of us live out in the ocean, 29 species spend their whole lifecycles in fresh water. Not all of us are poisonous, and our toxins aren’t necessarily as toxic to other animals as they are to humans. In 2012, male puffer fish were documented carving large geometric, circular structures in the seabed sand off the coast of Japan for their mates.

Puffer puffs up!

Works Cited "Pufferfish." National Geographic. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Apr "Puffer Fish." (Tetraodontidae). N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Apr "Puffer Fish Information." Puffer Fish Information - Pufferfish, Boxfish, and Cowfish. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Apr "Puffer Fish Facts." Puffer Fish Facts. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Apr Chang, Jon M. “Dolphins Can Get High on Puffer Fish.” ABC News. ABC News Network, 01 Jan Wed. 07 Apr “Puffer Fish Facts.” Puffer Fish Facts. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Apr