ECOLOGY

Environment warm coastlines
Organization solitary or school (2–8)
Treasure none

Pufferfish (or "puffers") are a category of poisonous fish that dwell in warm coastal waters. Pufferfish have the ability to rapidly fill their stomachs with water or air, causing their bodies to balloon out and make the poisonous spikes on their skin more pronounced. While certain aquatic sharks and other animals have adapted to eat pufferfish, the puffer's tetrodotoxin (typically delivered via the spines on the fish's skin, though prevalent throughout its organs as well) remains highly poisonous to humans and most mammals. Puffers come in a large variety of sizes and varieties, and most range from 6 inches to 2 feet in length and weigh between 5 and 30 pounds.

Certain societies regard pufferfish meat as a delicacy. The specially trained chefs capable of reliably distinguishing the poisonous parts of the pufferfish from the nontoxic parts are highly prized.