What Divers Should Know About
Puffer Fish

Often spotted cruising calmly over reefs and seagrass beds, pufferfish are a diverse family of marine and brackish water species. While most are small to medium, some like the impressive Mbu puffer can exceed 50 centimeters. These fish are easily identified by their four beak-like teeth, a unique dental structure used for crushing small crustaceans and giving them their scientific family name, Tetraodontidae.

Their slow, deliberate locomotion, propelled by precise fin movements, is balanced by a remarkable defense mechanism. When threatened, a pufferfish rapidly inflates its highly elastic stomach with water, transforming into a much larger, almost spherical shape. This sudden increase in size also makes their typically hidden, pointed dermal spines visible, presenting an unpalatable meal to potential predators. Divers should always observe these fascinating creatures from a distance, as the majority of pufferfish species are highly toxic, with some considered among the most poisonous vertebrates due to tetrodotoxin in their organs.