# Are freshwater puffers poisonous



## mpgleisten

I was just curious if a green spotted puffer was eaten by an Oscar or a RBP, if it would kill it or are the only true poisonous puffers are marine ones.


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## Innes

I think your fish will be safe with that kind of puffer - I had a silver doller that took a bite out of one and it was OK


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## mpgleisten

Allright thanks man. sounds good to me. hopefully my green spotted puffer wont get eaten at all though.


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## Death in #'s

mpgleistenwelcome to p-fury


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## o snap its eric

FW puffers are toxic but not to the point were it can kill a fish. It can cause the fish to be very ill. Depending on the size of your puffer, the puffer may actually kill it if eaten by another.


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## yonderway

All puffers are poisonous. Different parts of a puffer carry more tetrodotoxin than others. The liver carries the highest concentration so superficial bites to the flesh will be far less toxic. The flesh itself is safe but the skin is toxic. Also lots of other factors determine the toxicity level. A female ready to spawn is a lot more toxic than a male (her ovaries are quite deadly to eat especially just before mating).

But don't listen to me; I'm just a troll that wrecks threads and doesn't offer anything to this forum.


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## o snap its eric

Yonderway, were not saying your a troll and useless, we are just saying it you can be annoying at times when we have told you numerous times when which bay we are referring to or some other techincal sh*t you pull on us. You have to admit at times it very pointless reading your post when it comes to illgeal issues. We all know whats going on. So im offering a olive branch to you by asking you to tone down on some of the unesscary post you make and the bay area people will start anew with you.=)


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## Innes

excuse me ladies - we will have non of that squabbling here.

Thank you

and it seems that I may have been wrong about the puffer, it could be poisenous.

and Welcome to PFury mpgleisten


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## CoolD

i like trolls


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## hastatus

Enjoy (BTW pay particular attention to the remarks about the green spotted puffer and please consider yourself lucky (the fish that bit into it that is):

All pufferfishes produce a poison called tetrodotoxin to protect themselves. It is a very strong nerve toxin. It only takes a very small amount to kill fast and violently. There's a 60% chance that the poison will cause a very painful death. The poison can be located i the organs or in the flesh. The poison is concentrated mostly in the liver, intestines, ovaries and skin. The most poisonous pufferfishes are the *Spotted Green puffer* and the Striped Belly puffer.
Some species of puffers in one place may be poisonous whereas another of the same species living in a different place is non-poisonous. The amount of poison that can be found in a pufferfish varies per species and where it may be found. It is believed that pufferfishes produce their poison during their reproductive cycle and depending on the kinds of foods that they eat. These foods include medusae, corals and decomposing substances. Some people also believe that certain algaes can also cause the poison found in puffers. Puffer poison is a hormone of the sex glands. Puffers that have an intake of crabs and shellfishes, produces a choking sensation when swallowed by humans.
Poisoning is caused by the ingestion of the flesh, viscera and the skin of the porcupine fishes. They are especially dangerous to eat when it's mating season for the pufferfishes because the toxicity is based on gonadal activity and toxicity. The musculature is probably the most in-toxic and the most edible part of the pufferfish, but it cannot be fully assured that it is completely in-toxic and safe to eat. The toxicity levels cannot be fully determined by their size or appearance.
The toxin is water soluble and when repeatedly soaked in water it leaches out the poison. The pufferfish is edible only when all of the poison is properly drawn out.


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## piranha45

i love you too, yonder!









thx for the info frank!


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## hastatus

> piranha45 Posted on Jun 3 2003, 08:23 PM
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> i love you too, yonder!
> 
> thx for the info frank!


Thank yonderway, He had it right the first time.







But your welcome anyway.


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## mpgleisten

Wow, great info. I am very glad I became a member of this website and thanks for all the welcoming posts.


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## Innes

Great info Frank


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## yonderway

Innes said:


> Great info Frank


But then Frank points out:



> Thank yonderway, He had it right the first time.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> But your welcome anyway.


Frank, thanks for the props. Of course, around here you da man.


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