Which part of the pufferfish is the most poisonous? What should you do if you get poisoned?

Pufferfish, also called puffer fish, is the collective name for fish in the family Tetraodontidae. This is a highly poisonous fish that contains tetrodotoxin, and the toxin is located in the fish's internal organs. For the sake of safety, it is recommended to remove the poisonous parts before eating. So, which part of the pufferfish is the most poisonous? What should you do if you get poisoned?

I. Introduction to pufferfish

1. What are the other names for pufferfish?

Pufferfish has many other names, which vary from place to place, such as bubble fish, blowing-belly fish, puffer fish, balloon fish (Jiangsu, Zhejiang), guai fish and chicken bubble (Guangdong), chicken hug (Guangdong), turtle fish (Guangxi), street fish (Fujian), wax head (Hebei), and ding bo fish, among others.

2. What does a pufferfish look like?

Pufferfish are warm-temperate and tropical demersal fish that live in the middle and lower layers of the ocean. Their bodies are cylindrical, and they suck in air and swell up when in danger. The back is grayish-brown, the sides are slightly yellowish-brown, and the belly is white. They have 1 dorsal fin, no pelvic fins, and no scales or small spines.

3. What do pufferfish eat?

Pufferfish have an omnivorous diet, feeding on fish, shrimp, crabs, and shellfish. They also eat insect larvae, cladocerans, copepods, as well as the leaves of higher plants and filamentous algae. During reproductive migration, they generally feed very little.

II. Which part of the pufferfish is the most poisonous?

1. Pufferfish are highly poisonous because they contain tetrodotoxin, a colorless needle-shaped crystal. It is an animal-based alkali that is acid-resistant and heat-resistant, and it is one of the most toxic non-protein substances in nature. One fifty-millionth of it can numb nerves within 30 minutes, and 0.5 mg can cause death.

2. Tetrodotoxin is located in the fish's internal organs, including the ovaries, spleen, liver, kidneys, blood, eyes, gill rakers, and skin. The testes and muscles are non-toxic; among these, the ovaries contain extremely strong toxicity and are one of the most toxic parts of the pufferfish.

3. The toxicity of pufferfish organs from greatest to least is: ovaries→spleen→liver→blood vessels→eyes→gill rakers→skin→testes→muscles. However, this often varies with the season. Every year from February to May is the ovarian development period, when toxicity is stronger, and from June to July, after spawning, the ovaries degenerate and toxicity weakens.

III. What should you do if you get pufferfish poisoning?

1. The incubation period of pufferfish poisoning is 0.5 to 3 hours. Digestive tract symptoms appear first, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain, followed by sensory and motor dysfunction, such as numbness of the lips, tongue tip, extremities, and whole body, limb weakness, drooping eyelids, ataxia, and hoarseness. In severe cases, difficulty breathing, arrhythmia and conduction block, and coma may occur, and finally respiratory and circulatory failure.

2. After pufferfish poisoning, the first step is to induce vomiting. This can be done by giving soapy water, stimulating the throat, and other methods, so that the patient vomits out all the pufferfish eaten. Then send the patient to the hospital for gastric lavage, or use catharsis to eliminate the toxin. Finally, detoxify through multiple methods such as injections and oral medications.

3. To eat pufferfish without being poisoned, you must choose fresh live fish, strictly remove the above-mentioned toxic parts, clean them thoroughly, and heat them completely. Note that if the fish has been dead for a long time, toxins from the internal organs dissolve into body fluids and can gradually seep into the muscles, making the muscles toxic as well.

The above is an introduction to the most poisonous parts of pufferfish and solutions after poisoning. We hope it is useful to everyone.