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Concept
Tetraodontidae
Summary
Tetraodontidae is a family of primarily marine and estuarine fish of the order Tetraodontiformes. The family includes many familiar species variously called pufferfish, puffers, balloonfish, blowfish, blowers, blowies, bubblefish, globefish, swellfish, toadfish, toadies, toadle, honey toads, sugar toads, and sea squab. They are morphologically similar to the closely related porcupinefish, which have large external spines (unlike the thinner, hidden spines of the Tetraodontidae, which are only visible when the fish have puffed up). The scientific name refers to the four large teeth, fused into an upper and lower plate, which are used for crushing the hard shells of crustaceans and mollusks, their natural prey.
The majority of pufferfish species are toxic and some are among the most poisonous vertebrates in the world. In certain species, the internal organs, such as the liver, and sometimes the skin, contain tetrodotoxin, and are highly toxic to most animals when eaten; nevertheless, the meat of some species is considered a delicacy in Japan (as 河豚, pronounced fugu), Korea (as 복, bok, or 복어, bogeo), and China (as 河豚, hétún) when prepared by specially trained chefs who know which part is safe to eat and in what quantity. Other pufferfish species with nontoxic flesh, such as the northern puffer, Sphoeroides maculatus, of Chesapeake Bay, are considered a delicacy elsewhere.
The species Torquigener albomaculosus was described by David Attenborough as "the greatest artist of the animal kingdom" due to the males' unique habit of wooing females by creating nests in sand composed of complex geometric designs.
The Tetraodontidae contain 193 species of puffers in 28 genera:
Amblyrhynchotes Troschel, 1856
Arothron Müller, 1841
Auriglobus Kottelat, 1999
Canthigaster Swainson, 1839
Carinotetraodon Benl, 1957
Chelonodon Müller, 1841
Chonerhinos Bleeker, 1854
Colomesus Gill, 1884
Contusus Whitley, 1947
Dichotomyctere Duméril, 1855
Ephippion Bibron, 1855
Feroxodon Su, Hardy et Tyler, 1986
Guentheridia Gilbert et Starks, 1904
Javichthys Hardy, 1985
Leiodon Swainson, 1839
Lagocephalus Swainson, 1839
Marilyna Hardy, 1982
Omegophora Whitley, 1934
Pelagocephalus Tyler & Paxton, 1979
Polyspina Hardy, 1983
Pao Kottelat, 2013
Reicheltia Hardy, 1982
Sphoeroides Anonymous, 1798
Takifugu Abe, 1949
Tetractenos Hardy, 1983
Tetraodon Linnaeus, 1758
Torquigener Whitley, 1930
Tylerius Hardy, 1984
File:Arothron stellatus Réunion.
Official source
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