| There are over 120 species of pufferfish and 19 species of porcupinefish worldwide. In the Tropical Western Atlantic waters, we have seven species of pufferfish and five species of porcupinefish. Puffers include Sharpnose, Bandtail, Caribbean, Checkered, Marble, Southern and Goldface Toby. Porcupinefishes include Balloonfish, Porcupinefish, Bridled Burrfish, Striped Burrfish and Web Burrfish. |
| Prior to 2002, pufferfishes were classified into two groups, smooth puffers (tetraodontidae) and spiny puffers (diodontidae). The spiny puffers were further separated into porcupinefish and burrfish. Porcupinefish have spines that lay flattened against their body but become erect as the body inflates. The burrfish’s spines always remain erect. Smooth puffers are now classified as pufferfishes (tetraodontidae family) and spiny puffers have been reclassified as the porcupinefish family (Diodontidae). Currently, the porcupinefish family includes both porcupinefish and burrfish. |
| Puffers have fused teeth and powerful jaws which they use to crush hard shelled invertebrates. Derived from the family name Tetraodontidae, which means four-toothed, puffers have a strong beak-like structure divided by sutures giving the appearance of four “teeth”. Derived from the family name Diodontidae (two-toothed), porcupinefish have two broad beak-like dental plates on each jaw. |
| When alarmed, these fish have the ability to take in large quantities of water to greatly inflate their bodies into large spheres. In order to inflate, the puffers and porcupinefish suck water into a section of their stomach. This greatly increases their diameter, especially in those that possess spines. This is a defense mechanism to prevent predators from biting or swallowing them. Their bodies resemble a partially inflated balloon more than they do a typical fish shape. Their high drag body shape and relatively weak fins make them poor swimmers. |
| In addition to their ability to “puff up”, pufferfish use toxicity as a second defense mechanism. Some species contain the toxin tetrodotoxin in the internal organs and in the gonads during the spawning season. Eating these fish can be fatal to humans; however it has not kept puffers from being a delicacy in Japan. Every year fugu poisoning totals 30 to 100 cases per year in Japan and the fatality rate runs about 50%. Although licensed cooks must clean fugu, presumably the involved risk enhances the flavor. A meal of puffer costs about $400 U.S. dollars. On the other hand, porcupinefish are of little commercial value. Long ago, South Sea Islanders used them for making war helmets. In today’s market, porcupinefish are sometimes fashioned into lamps and sold in novelty stores. |
