Pufferfish

Pufferfish are one of the strangest fish in the ocean. When they feel scared, they fill their stomach with water and blow up like a balloon. This makes them much bigger and harder to eat. Some pufferfish also have sharp spines that stick out when they puff up.

How They Puff Up

A pufferfish has a very stretchy stomach. When something scares it, the fish gulps in lots of water very fast. Its body swells into a round ball in just seconds. Most predators cannot fit a puffed-up pufferfish in their mouth. After the danger is gone, the fish lets the water back out and swims away.

A Poisonous Surprise

Many pufferfish have a strong poison in their bodies. This poison is one of the deadliest found in any animal. It protects them from being eaten. In Japan, trained chefs carefully prepare a dish called fugu from pufferfish. They must remove the poisonous parts so people can eat it safely.

Fun Facts

• There are more than 120 different kinds of pufferfish.
• Male pufferfish make beautiful patterns in the sand to attract females.
• Pufferfish have four big teeth joined together like a beak.

Did You Know?

The poison in one pufferfish could kill many people. But other animals like sharks and sea snakes can eat them without getting sick.