Puffer fish discovered in the Adriatic – very poisonous and hard to recognize

Croatia
Poisonous and mostly incognito – tropical pufferfish discovered in the Adriatic

In Croatia, a fisherman made a disturbing catch: apparently the poisonous pufferfish is spreading in the Adriatic. The fact that it is difficult to detect complicates matters.

After the lionfish and other animals from warm and tropical climes, the next invasive species in the Mediterranean is making headlines: the Pufferfish are apparently spreading in the Aria. This is reported by several international media.

At the beginning of last week, a fisherman from Croatia caught several specimens of a species of puffer fish (Lagocephalus sceleratus) in his net, it is said. The man was traveling off the island of Ceja. The nearby Pula Aquarium announced on Facebook that a total of seven specimens had been observed in the Bay of Medulin, and one was caught and collected at a depth of 19 meters.

Specifically, the specimens discovered in the Adriatic are said to be harehead pufferfish. In the Pula Aquarium’s post they are called silver-lined pufferfish. The species migrates from the Red Sea into the Mediterranean via the Suez Canal, it goes on to say. There have long been reports from Turkey and Greece about these unpleasant animal immigrants, who have no predators in the Mediterranean and apparently feel quite comfortable in their new home due to rising water temperatures.

The puffer fish carries a strong poison

However, they are not welcome in the Mediterranean waters. They are considered a danger to local wildlife and cannot be used as food fish. Pufferfish contain a very strong poison, tetrodotoxin, the scientists at the Pula Aquarium explain on Facebook. “Tetrodotoxin is most concentrated in the gonads and liver, but is also found on the skin. A dose of 1 to 2 mg is believed to be fatal,” warn the marine experts.

It is generally advised not to touch pufferfish. And especially don’t eat it, it can be fatal and is therefore forbidden in some countries. However, there are repeated reports of people dying from improperly prepared pufferfish – even in Asia, where these fish are sometimes considered a delicacy and are specially processed to remove the poison.

Puffer fish are said to be harmless to swimmers, especially because they are considered very shy. At least, that is what various media outlets are reporting. Anyone who swims near a puffer fish will not notice it in most cases – the animals are not usually as puffed up as you see in comics. They only puff themselves up when they are in immediate danger and therefore usually swim through the water incognito.

But if you want to know exactly, you should pay attention to “fish with an angular snout, conspicuous incisors and a silver stripe on the lower body,” as they are described in the “Hessische/Niedersächsische Allgemeine” (HNA). In the water, where visibility is poorer due to weaker lighting conditions, snorkelers are unlikely to be able to identify such a fish.

Via the Suez Canal into the Mediterranean

Fishermen generally have a bad attitude towards the new inhabitants of the Mediterranean. Puffer fish use their sharp teeth to bite through nets to get to the catch. They also sometimes literally eat the prey off anglers’ hooks, according to the “HNA”.

There are around 200 species of puffer fish worldwide; they actually occur in tropical waters, but are now also spreading into more northern regions. The gateway to the Mediterranean is the Suez Canal, through which other animal species have also migrated, such as the lionfish. This is now native to many places in the Mediterranean. Unlike the pufferfish, however, this newcomer is easily recognizable by its striking red color and distinctive shape.

Sources: Aquarium Pula on Facebook“HNA“, “Travel book“, “Spektrum.de“

See in the photo series: They crawl en masse across streets or live as lodgers in attics: Many animal species live in Germany that originally come from other regions of the world. An overview.