Highly toxic used to poison cats and dogs (Ref. To ward off predators, it inflates itself like a balloon. Feeds mainly on bivalves, gastropods, foraminiferans and several other benthic invertebrates specially crustaceans, which it crushes with its powerful teeth (Ref. Does not form schools, but may form huge aggregates. 1983).Ĭommonly found in bays, tidal creeks and protected coastal waters, especially on seagrass beds, and in brackish water. Like all puffers, it is a poor swimmer and propels itself by flapping its small dorsal and anal fins (Boschung et al. 2009), making them potentially quite dangerous to consume. Like many other puffers, the checkered puffer can be highly toxic as a result of tetrodotoxins and saxitoxins in their bodies (Abbott et al. The checkered puffer ( Sphoeroides testudineus), like other puffers in the fish family Tetraodontidae, is able to inflate its body by swallowing water (or air, if it is removed from the water), making the fish globular and difficult for predators to attack (Robins et al. Press Release: FDA Provides Advice on Safe Sources of Puffer Fish October 17, 2007Ĭonsumer Advisory: Only Eat Puffer Fish from Known Safe Sources October 17, 2007, Updated January 17, 2014.The Checkered Puffer ( Sphoeroides testudineus) is a species in the family Tetraodontidae, or pufferfishes. The FDA Regulatory Fish Encyclopedia has descriptions and photos of puffer fish and is available on-line. Do not serve or sell domestic puffer fish unless it has been harvested in the mid-Atlantic.Do not serve or sell imported puffer fish unless it has been sourced as described above.For restaurants and fish markets that wish to continue serving or selling puffer fish, in addition to following applicable state and local regulations, FDA recommends that you:.The Northern Puffer fish from the mid-Atlantic coastal waters of the United States, typically between Virginia and New York, has not been found to contain toxin, but without routine toxin screening there still is a potential risk. Puffer fish harvested from these Florida counties have been found to contain significant amounts of toxin in the flesh regardless of the preparation technique. Lucie, and Martin counties on the east coast of Florida due to persistent toxicity. The State of Florida currently has a ban on both commercial and recreational harvesting of puffer fish from the waters of Volusia, Brevard, Indian River, St.Therefore there is an increased risk that puffer fish prepared in the United States and elsewhere will be improperly prepared. There is no similar training and certification process for American chefs. It is only imported into the United States on a limited basis under an agreement between FDA and the Japanese government. This company imports the product from processing facilities licensed by the Japanese government to prepare this product using specially trained fish cutters. Currently, the only acceptable source of imported puffer fish is from a New York importer, Wako International.Due to the potential health hazard, commercial importation of puffer fish into the United States is heavily restricted.In fact, freezing and thawing of the product prior to removal of the toxic organs may result in the migration of toxin into the flesh of the fish. The toxin cannot be destroyed by cooking or freezing.Unless puffer fish is cleaned and prepared in a special manner to carefully remove the organs containing toxin, the flesh of the fish will become contaminated with the toxin. The liver, gonads (ovaries and testes), intestines and skin of puffer fish typically contain the toxin.Recent illnesses have been reported from consumption of imported puffer fish and domestic puffer fish from Florida, from both commercially harvested and recreationally caught fish.For more information on tetrodotoxin, refer to the Bad Bug Book available on-line. In severe intoxications, death can result from respiratory paralysis. Initial symptoms include tingling of the lips and mouth, followed by dizziness, tingling in the extremities, problems with speaking, balance, muscle weakness and paralysis, vomiting, and diarrhea. Symptoms start within 20 minutes to 2 hours after eating the toxic fish. These are central nervous system toxins and are more deadly than cyanide. Puffer fish may contain the potent and deadly toxins tetrodotoxin and/or saxitoxin which can cause severe illness and death.The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning restaurants and fish markets that serve or sell puffer fish (also known as puffer, fugu, bok, blowfish, globefish, swellfish, balloonfish, or sea squab) not to buy or sell this product unless it is obtained from a known safe source. OctoUpdated January 17, 2014*Īlso available in Chinese, Spanish, Korean, and Japanese
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |