Puffer fish Tory Gutierrez Sophia Franco Damian Perez

Puffer fish Tory Gutierrez Sophia Franco Damian Perez

Fun Facts ❖ Due to the hard shells they consume , the teeth of the puffer fish never stop growing. ❖ There are over 120 different species of puffer fish in the world. ❖ Puffer fish are toxic to predators and humans as well due to the tetrodotoxin which is produced by bacteria. ❖ Puffer fish do not have scales, but they do have spines which leads them to being sensitive to water variations. ❖ Puffer fish are predators, they will eat snails, shellfish, crustaceans and other fish. ❖ Life as a puffer would be very interesting. It would not be my ideal fish but it would not be a terrible scenario. If I was a puffer fish i would swim around puffed up all time, that way no animal would mess with me. I would mostly try to stay away from areas that have predators such as tiger sharks and lizard fish.

Defining characteristics ❖ A puffer fish can range anywhere from one inch long to two feet long ❖ The amount of water they take in causes their body size to increase and puff up ❖ Most puffer fish contain a toxin called tetrodotoxin strong enough to kill up to 30 adults ❖ The color of a puffer fish depends on the amount of toxin they have ❖ Puffer fish do not have scales ❖ Puffer fish have 4 teeth that form a beak- like structure ❖ Puffer fish sexually mature at age 5 ❖ Some puffer fish cannot be seen without a magnifying glass when they are born ❖ Puffer fish usually live to about 10 years old

Example of Species Bandtail Puffer (Florida) Dwarf Puffer Fish Checkered Puffer (Florida) Blackspotted Puffer Marbled Puffer (Florida) Tetraodon

Where do they live? ❖ Puffer fish can be found in many different habitats in the ocean depending on the species. Puffer fish are found throughout the indian, pacific, and atlantic ocean. They are most commonly found in subtropical and tropical ocean waters, but some can also be found in brackish and freshwater. 120 species of puffer fish live in warm waters, while only 30 species of puffer fish live in freshwater. Because of pollution, overfishing, and habitat loss some species of puffer fish are considered to be vulnerable.

Florida Puffers Bandtail puffer Marbled puffer Checkered puffer

Adaptation ❖ ❖ ❖ Adaptation is the process of change by which an organism or species becomes better suited to its particular environment. Examples: ➢ The pufferfish blows itself up when a predator comes near, to scare them away. ➢ It also has large powerful jaws to break the shells of clams and other shelled creatures, this leads to survival. ➢ They also have excellent eyesight that is beneficial for finding food and scouting any predator that comes near. ➢ They have a sudden burst of energy which allows them to swim away from predators. ➢ The puffing will make it hard for the predator to swallow the puffer fish due to the spines and quills. One adaptation that is very interesting is that the puffer fish has a poison in them called tetrodotoxin which can cause predators to become sick or not live. Tetrodotoxin is a sodium channel blocker. It prevents the firing of action potentials in neurons by binding to the voltage-gated sodium channels in nerve cell membranes and then it prevents the passing of sodium ions into the neuron. It is found in the liver and sex organs (gonad). If eaten is is extremely deadly to humans.

How do humans threaten them? ❖ To some the flesh of a puffer fish is considered to be a delicacy. Making them prey to humans even though they have deadly toxins that could kill them. This could lead to overfishing and damaging of the puffer fish population but as of 2011 their population was stable.

Are they important? ❖ The importance of a puffer fish in the environment is population control. The puffer fish consume invertebrates such as molluscs. If puffer fish did not eat the invertebrate they could possible become overpopulated. ❖ The puffer fishes are negatively affecting the incomes of many fishermen. The puffer fish have strong teeth that can bite through the fishing net to get to fish that are trapped so they can eat them. These puffer fish eat so much of this fish and cause it to be unsellable meaning no income for the fishermen. Puffer fish affect the economy negatively. ❖ The eggs of a pufferfish can be used in small doses to treat patients who have leprosy and muscle spasms. The pufferfishes eggs can even be used as an analgesic for those with rheumatoid arthritis. The poison of a pufferfish (Tetrodotoxin) is also being used in a drug that could possibly act as a pain reliever for chemotherapy patients.

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Multiple Choice Question How does a puffer fish puff up? A. Sucking air into their bodies to blow up like a balloon. B. By blowing themselves up using pressure C. Intaking water to increase their size D. Storing heat to allow their bodies to inflate

Short Response Question What is The purpose of the puffer fish puffing up?

Citations https: //kids. nationalgeographic. com/animals/pufferfish/#pufferfish-closeup. jpg http: //www. softschools. com/facts/animals/puffer_fish_facts/59/ https: //animals. mom. me/what-are-the-puffer-fishs-enemies-7282464. html https: //www. petmd. com/fish/general-health/10 -facts-about-puffer-fish https: //www. sciencedaily. com/terms/pufferfish. htm https: //www. theguardian. com/science/blog/2018/jan/17/tetrodotoxin-thepoison-behind-the-japanese-pufferfish-fugu-scare v https: //sites. tufts. edu/tetrodotoxin/uses/ v https: //www. smithsonianmag. com/smart-news/pufferfishs-deadly-toxin-couldhelp-chemo-patients-3446252/ v v v