Vertebrate Zoology

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Tetraodontidae

A Dictionary of Zoology | 1999 | | Copyright

Tetraodontidae (pufferfish, swellfish; subclass Actinopterygii, order Tetraodontiformes) A large family of mostly marine fish that have a rotund, scaleless body, the small dorsal fin placed well back on the body opposite the small anal fin, and a rounded tail fin. The mouth is small, but the teeth in each jaw are fused into a solid beak, with a median division in front. They can swallow a large quantity of water, thereby inflating the body, presumably in order to discourage a predator. Some species are quite large and relished as food by inhabitants of many Pacific islands, despite the fact that the entrails and gonads are highly poisonous to man (see TETRODOTOXIN). Pufferfish are also appreciated in Japan, where specially trained cooks prepare them for human consumption. There are at least 130 species, distributed world-wide.

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MICHAEL ALLABY. "Tetraodontidae." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

MICHAEL ALLABY. "Tetraodontidae." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-Tetraodontidae.html

MICHAEL ALLABY. "Tetraodontidae." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-Tetraodontidae.html

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swellfish

A Dictionary of Zoology | 1999 | | Copyright

swellfish See TETRAODORTIDAE.

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MICHAEL ALLABY. "swellfish." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

MICHAEL ALLABY. "swellfish." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-swellfish.html

MICHAEL ALLABY. "swellfish." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-swellfish.html

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Free newspaper and magazine articles

	Saxitoxin puffer fish poisoning in the United States, with the first report... Magazine article from: Environmental Health Perspectives; 10/1/2006
	FDA Provides Advice on Safe Sources of Puffer Fish. M2 Presswire; 10/18/2007
	VIETNAM TO EXPORT PUFFER FISH FOR THE FIRST TIME. News Wire article from: AsiaPulse News; 8/12/2010