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Tetraodontidae is a
family of primarily marine and estuarine fish. The family includes many familiar species which are variously called
puffers,
balloonfish,
blowfish,
bubblefish,
globefish,
swellfish,
toadfish, and
toadies.
[1] They are morphologically similar to the closely related
porcupinefish, which have large conspicuous spines (unlike the small, almost sandpaper-like spines of Tetraodontidae). The scientific name, Tetraodontidae, refers to the four large teeth, fused into an upper and lower plate, which are used for crushing the shells of
crustaceans and
mollusks, and red worms, their natural prey.
Puffer fish are the second most poisonous vertebrate in the world, the first being a Golden Poison Frog. The skin and certain internal organs of many tetraodontidae are highly toxic to humans, but nevertheless the meat of some species is considered a delicacy in both Japan (as fugu) and Korea (as bok). If one is caught while fishing, it is recommended that thick gloves be worn to avoid poisoning and getting bitten when removing the hook.
The tetraodontidae contains at least 121 species of puffers in 19 genera.[1] They are most diverse in the tropics and relatively uncommon in the temperate zone and completely absent from cold waters. They are typically small to medium in size, although a few species can reach lengths of 100 centimetres (39 in).[2]
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Seahorses are a
genus (
Hippocampus) of fish belonging to the family
Syngnathidae, which also includes
pipefish and
leafy sea dragons. There are over 32 species of seahorse, mainly found in shallow tropical and temperate waters throughout the world. They prefer to live in sheltered areas such as sea grass beds, coral reefs, or mangroves. Colonies have been found in European waters such as the
Thames Estuary. From
North America down to
South America there are approximately four species, ranging from very small in size (
dwarf seahorses are only about an inch long) to those much larger, found off the Pacific Coast of Central America (the foot-long
Hippocampus ingens).
Hippocampus erectus are larger seahorses found anywhere from
Nova Scotia down to around
Uruguay. Three different species of seehorse live in the
Mediterranean Sea: Hippocampus hippocampus (long snout), Hippocampus brevirostris (short snout) and Hippocampus fuscus (immigrated from the
Red Sea). These fish form territories, with males staying in about one square meter of their habitat while females range about one hundred times that area. They bob around in sea grass meadows, mangrove stands, and coral reefs where they are camouflaged by murky brown and grey patterns that blend into the sea grass backgrounds. During social moments or in unusual surroundings, seahorses turn bright colors.
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