CATDOLL : CATDOLL: Types of pufferfish

1. Types of pufferfish

Superfamily of Freshwater Dolphins: Family Iniidae Subfamily Iniinae Genus Inia Inia geoffrensis Inia geoffrensis geoffrensis Inia geoffrensis boliviensis Inia geoffrensis humboldtiana Lipotidae Genus Lipotes Lipotes vexillifer Family Platanistidae Subfamily Platanistinae Platanista Platanista gangetica Platanista gangetica gangetica Platanista gangetica minor Pontoporiidae Genus Pontoporia Pontoporia blainvillei

2. Is pufferfish a fish?

Yes.

Pufferfish belongs to the class of bony fish, with a cylindrical body and teeth fused into plates. It has one dorsal fin, no pelvic fins, no scales or scales with spines, and air sacs that can inflate with air. There are many species, and they live on the seabed. Their meat is very delicious.

3. Which part of pufferfish is poisonous?

The ovaries, liver, kidneys, eyes and blood contain highly toxic substances.

The toxicity distribution of river fish has the following five characteristics:

1. The amount of toxins in river fish varies in different parts. Generally speaking, the ovaries contain the most, followed by the liver, and the blood, eyes, gills, and skin all contain a little. Muscles do not contain TTX. However, after the fish dies, the toxins in the internal organs can penetrate into the muscles, which also contain a small amount of TTX.

2. The toxicity of different types of river fish varies. For example, fish of the genus Oriental in the family are generally highly toxic, while fish of the family Acanthopanax and the family Ceratidae are generally not toxic.

3. Regional differences in toxicity: The same river fish living in different waters will have significant differences in toxicity after being caught.

4. Seasonal differences in toxicity. The toxicity of the river varies with the season, especially during the spawning season (December to June of the following year), when the toxicity is very high.

5. Wild river fish are more toxic than farmed river fish.

Symptoms of poisoning

The symptoms of river fish poisoning depend on the person's physical condition and the amount of TTX ingested. Generally, the poisoned person first experiences paralysis of the lips and tongue, followed by paralysis of the motor nerves, then dilation of peripheral blood vessels, drop in blood pressure, difficulty breathing, and finally, as consciousness slowly disappears, the respiratory center is completely paralyzed until death.

Death usually occurs within 4 to 6 hours after onset. If the patient survives for more than 8 hours, he or she can generally recover. This is mainly because TTX is detoxified and excreted quickly in the body. There is no specific drug for river poisoning, and river poisoning develops quickly and has a high mortality rate. Treatment should focus on early vomiting, gastric lavage, and excretion.

For the above content, please refer to: Baidu Encyclopedia - Pufferfish

The ovaries, liver, kidneys, eyes and blood of pufferfish contain poison.

Pufferfish refers to fish of various genera in the class, order, and family of bony fish. Its meat is delicious and nutritious, and it is a valuable high-end aquatic product known as the "crown of dishes". However, its ovaries, liver, kidneys, eyes, and blood contain highly toxic substances. If improperly handled or eaten by mistake, it can cause mild poisoning or even death.

Because of its pig-like appearance and its frequent activities near river estuaries, it is commonly known as pufferfish in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, while it is called Tingba in Shandong, Latou in Hebei, Guaiyu or Jibao in Guangdong, and turtlefish in Guangxi.

Toxicity of pufferfish:

Tetrodotoxin is an animal alkali that is resistant to acid and high temperature. It is one of the most toxic non-protein substances in nature. After poisoning, early symptoms will appear such as mild numbness of the mouth, lips, tip of the tongue, and fingers.

The patient will then vomit, have difficulty walking and speaking, and then experience a rapid drop in blood pressure and difficulty breathing, until consciousness disappears and breathing and heartbeat stop, leading to death.

The above content is referenced from People's Daily Online - Pufferfish is poisonous, don't eat it greedily, Baidu Encyclopedia - Pufferfish

The most poisonous parts of pufferfish are the ovaries and liver, followed by the kidneys, blood, eyes, gills and skin.

The toxicity of pufferfish is also related to its reproductive cycle. The toxicity is higher during the ovarian development period from February to May each year, and the toxicity decreases after spawning in June and July. The liver is also the most toxic during the spring spawning period. The testes and muscles are non-toxic. If the fish dies for a long time, the toxins in the internal organs dissolve into the body fluids and gradually penetrate into the muscles.

Safe to eat

Puffer fish that need to be processed for food due to special circumstances should be processed centrally in places with conditions. Before processing, the poisonous parts such as the internal organs, skin, and head must be removed, the muscles must be rinsed repeatedly, the blood stains must be washed off, and 2% sodium bicarbonate must be added for treatment for 24 hours. It can only be sold after inspection and identification. The processing waste should be destroyed.

Regarding the detoxification of pufferfish for safe consumption, experiments have proved the reliability of high-temperature heating in destroying toxins, that is, detoxification of wild pufferfish by heating at 120°C for more than 2 hours and detoxification of farmed pufferfish at 120°C for 30-40 minutes can achieve the purpose of complete destruction of toxins and safe consumption.

These temperature and time conditions can be strictly controlled during mass production to ensure food safety. At the same time, the processing method of heating to destroy toxins can maintain the unique deliciousness of fresh puffer fish meat. After processing in the flood season in the fishing area, it can also adjust market supply and demand needs, and can be supplied all year round in the breeding area.

It is a neurotoxin. If a person ingests 0.5mg-3mg of pufferfish poison, it can be fatal. The liver, spleen, kidney, ovary, testicle, eyeball, skin and blood of pufferfish are all poisonous. The eggs, ovary and liver are the most poisonous, followed by kidney, blood, eyes and skin.

Almost all types of pufferfish contain tetrodotoxin, which is mainly found in the gonads, liver, spleen, eyes, skin, blood and other parts of the pufferfish. The ovaries and liver are highly toxic, followed by the kidneys, blood, eyes, gills and skin, and the testes and meat are mostly weakly toxic or non-toxic. When cooking pufferfish, it is necessary to strictly and carefully remove the pufferfish's internal organs and eyes, remove the fish gills, peel off the fish skin, remove the tendons and blood, and wash it repeatedly with clean water. Pufferfish meat is particularly tender, delicious and nutritious. It has a high medicinal value. From the toxins in its liver and ovaries, precious medicinal materials such as tetrodotoxin, tetrodotoxin acid and tetrodotoxin can be extracted.

Of course, in order to prevent accidents, people should not take chances and eat puffer fish just for the sake of temporary enjoyment of the taste.

The poisonous component of puffer fish is tetrodotoxin, which is a neurotoxin. Ingestion of 0.5mg-3mg of tetrodotoxin can kill people. The liver, spleen, kidney, ovary, testicle, eyeball, skin and blood of puffer fish are all poisonous. The eggs, ovaries and liver are the most poisonous, followed by kidneys, blood, eyes and skin. The toxin is heat-resistant and will not be destroyed for 8 hours at 100℃, but will be destroyed for 1 hour at 120℃. Salting and sun exposure cannot destroy the toxin.