Wild Pufferfish

Wild Pufferfish

　　The pufferfish, scientifically known as Takifugu obscurus, is also called bubble fish. It belongs to the order Tetraodontiformes and is a warm-water, bottom-dwelling marine fish. It is distributed across various sea areas in China, with dozens of common species. The pufferfish has a round body, a large head and chest, and a small belly and tail. Its back features bright patterns or colors, and its skin is scaleless, smooth, or covered with fine spines. The game of the same name “Bubble Fish” is a classic match-three game. If three or more bubbles of the same color are aligned in a row or column, click to pop the bubbles of the same color.

　　Almost all species of pufferfish contain tetrodotoxin (TTX). The toxin is primarily found in the fish’s gonads, liver, spleen, eyes, skin, and blood. The ovaries and liver are extremely toxic, followed by the kidneys, blood, eyes, gills, and skin, while the testes and flesh are usually mildly toxic or non-toxic.

　　Tetrodotoxin is quite stable and is not easily eliminated by salting, sun-drying, or regular cooking methods. Before processing, fishermen first remove the toxic parts such as the internal organs, skin, and head, wash away the blood, and then either cook the fish for a long time or cure it for consumption. If any step is not handled meticulously, the toxin can take effect quickly, and it is generally not survivable.

　　In Japan, cooking pufferfish requires specially trained chefs who follow strict processing procedures. Typically, the chef tastes the first bite themselves and waits 20–30 minutes before serving the dish. Even so, dozens of people in Japan die from accidental pufferfish poisoning every year between October and April. In China’s coastal regions and lower Yangtze River areas, dozens of people also die annually from eating pufferfish by mistake.

　　According to an appraisal report by the National Aquatic Products Quality Supervision and Inspection Center: the protein content of non-toxic or low-toxicity pufferfish from Zhongyang reaches as high as 17.71%, fat content is only 0.62%, and unsaturated fatty acid content exceeds 20%, including 15.36% DHA (a main component of brain gold) and 6.19% EPA.

　　Toxicity Identification

　　To prevent pufferfish poisoning, one must first recognize that pufferfish are toxic and be able to identify their appearance to avoid accidental ingestion. Pufferfish have a long, round body, a relatively square and flat head, and some have beautiful patterns; others have no patterns and are entirely black. Some describe the pufferfish as diamond-shaped, with sunken eyes showing half the eyeball, two teeth-like fangs in both upper and lower jaws resembling human teeth. Their gills are small and not prominent, the belly is yellowish-white, the back and belly are covered with tiny white spines, the body is smooth and scaleless, and colored blackish-yellow.

　　Symptoms of Poisoning

　　Pufferfish poisoning mainly affects the nervous system. The incubation period is very short, ranging from as little as 10–30 minutes to as long as 3–6 hours before symptoms appear. The onset is rapid and severe. Initially, there may be numbness or tingling in the fingers, lips, and tip of the tongue, followed by nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, limb numbness and weakness, body trembling, and difficulty walking. In severe cases, there may be full-body paralysis, speech impediment, breathing difficulties, drop in blood pressure, and coma. Most victims of severe poisoning ultimately die from respiratory failure. Without timely rescue, death can occur as quickly as 10 minutes or as late as 4–6 hours after poisoning. Reports indicate that the fatality rate of pufferfish poisoning in Japan is 61.5%.

　　Handling Poisoning

　　There is currently no specific antidote for pufferfish poisoning. Once poisoning occurs, the patient should be immediately taken to the hospital for emergency treatment to quickly expel the toxin and receive symptomatic therapy. The most effective method of prevention is for authorities to strictly inspect and prohibit the retail sale of pufferfish. If found, pufferfish should be collected and properly disposed of.

　　Pufferfish that need to be processed and consumed under special circumstances should be processed in centralized facilities where conditions allow. Before processing, the toxic parts such as the internal organs, skin, and head must be removed, the flesh repeatedly rinsed, and blood cleaned off. The fish should then be treated with 2% sodium bicarbonate for 24 hours and can only be sold after passing inspection and certification. Processing waste should be destroyed.

　　Of course, to prevent accidents, people should not take chances or consume pufferfish purely for a momentary taste indulgence.