Pufferfish : In News:
Scientists have confirmed India’s first case of freshwater pufferfish poisoning.
- Pufferfish belong to the order Tetraodontiformes.
- They are locally known by names such as toadfish, patkafish, balloonfish and fugu.
- Pufferfish are omnivorous and benthic in habitat.
- It is primarily found in the Western Ghats and major basins such as the Ganga, Brahmaputra and Mahanadi.
- Freshwater pufferfish species reported from India are often endemic to specific geographical areas and serve as indicators of healthy river ecosystems.
- They can inflate into a ball shape to evade predators.
- Conservation Status of Pufferfish:
- IUCN: Vulnerable
- Pufferfish Poisoning: Some puffer fish carry tetrodotoxin (TTX) which is one of the most potent neurotoxins known in nature.
- Tetrodotoxin blocks nerve sodium channels and can cause paralysis, respiratory failure and death.
- Evidence suggests that pufferfish do not synthesise the toxin themselves.
- TTX is believed to originate from symbiotic or ingested bacteria such as Vibrio, Pseudomonas, Aeromonas and Bacillus.
