What does a puffer fish look like?

globefish

The puffer fish has a short and thick body. The puffer fish has small spines like hair. Tough and thick puffer fish skin was once used to make helmets. The upper and lower teeth of puffer fish are connected together like a sharp blade. This makes it easy for puffer fish to crush hard coral shells. Most puffer fish are tropical marine fish, and only a few species live in fresh water. Once the puffer fish is threatened, it will swallow water or air and expand its body into a spiny ball, making it difficult for natural enemies to shut up. The viscera of many puffer fish contains a neurotoxin that can kill people. Someone has tested the toxicity of tetrodotoxin. Its toxicity is equivalent to 1250 times of the highly toxic drug sodium cyanide, and only 0.48 mg can cause death. In fact, the muscles of puffer fish do not contain toxins. The most poisonous parts of puffer fish are ovary and liver, followed by kidney, blood, eyes, gills and skin. The toxicity of puffer fish is also related to its reproductive cycle. The puffer fish that lay eggs in late spring and early summer are the most toxic. This toxin can make people nervous paralysis, vomiting, cold limbs, and then stop heartbeat and breathing. There are reports of eating puffer fish and dying at home and abroad. Although it is risky to taste puffer fish, it is very delicious because of its taste. So there are still many gluttons who desperately eat puffer fish. The most popular country to eat puffer fish in the world is Japan. There are puffer fish restaurants in major cities in Japan. Chefs must undergo strict professional training. In the graduation exam, the chef will eat his own puffer fish. Therefore, some unskilled people are afraid to take the exam and run away. The puffer fish swims very slowly. This is because most fish usually have swimming muscles in the second half of their bodies. The puffer fish must paddle with its dorsal fin and caudal fin swinging from side to side. The teeth of puffer fish are very similar to those of spiny dolphins. The puffer fish's teeth fuse into a beak. Stork teeth are used to crush mollusks and corals. The puffer fish devours the living parts of these creatures and marine life such as crabs, worms and barnacles.

The toxic component of puffer fish is tetrodotoxin, which is a neurotoxin. People will die if they eat 0.5 mg to 3 mg of dolphin poison. The liver, spleen, kidney, ovary, testis, eyeball, skin and blood of puffer fish are all toxic. Eggs, ovaries and liver are the most poisonous, followed by kidneys, blood, eyes and skin. The toxin is heat-resistant, and can't be destroyed at 100℃ for 8 hours, but only at 120℃ 1 hour, and can't be destroyed by salting or sunlight.

Spring is the spawning season of puffer fish every year, when the fish is the most toxic, so spring is the high incidence season of puffer fish poisoning. China's "Measures for Hygienic Management of Aquatic Products" clearly stipulates: "Pufferfish is highly toxic and may not enter the market. Captured toxic fish (such as puffer fish) should be selected, boxed and specially stored. Therefore, puffer fish is not suitable for eating. Only a few people are desperate to eat puffer fish, but most people are poisoned because they don't know puffer fish and accidentally eat puffer fish.

■ How to identify and identify puffer fish?

In order to prevent puffer fish poisoning, we must first realize that puffer fish is poisonous and its shape, so as to prevent poisoning due to eating. The puffer fish is long and round, with a square and flat head, and some of them have beautiful stripes; Others have no stripes, but a black fish. It is also described that the appearance of puffer fish is rhombic, its eyes are sunken and half exposed, and its upper and lower teeth are shaped like human teeth. The gills are small and inconspicuous, the abdomen is yellow and white, and there are small white spines on the back and abdomen. This fish is smooth and scaly, and it is black and yellow.

■ What are the symptoms of puffer fish poisoning?

The main symptoms of puffer fish poisoning are nervous system symptoms. The incubation period is very short, as short as 10-30 minutes and as long as 3-6 hours. The onset is acute and fierce. At first, fingers, lips and tongue tip were numb or tingling, then nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, numbness and weakness of limbs, body shaking and difficulty walking. In severe cases, the whole body is paralyzed, and there are language barriers, dyspnea, blood pressure drop and coma. Finally, most severely poisoned people die of respiratory failure. If the rescue is not timely, he will die within 10 minutes at the earliest and 4-6 hours at the latest. It is reported that the fatality rate of puffer fish poisoning in Japan is 6 1.5%.

■ What should I do if I accidentally eat puffer fish poisoning?

At present, there is no specific antidote for puffer fish poisoning. After poisoning, the patient should be sent to the hospital for emergency treatment immediately, and the poison should be discharged as soon as possible for symptomatic treatment. The most effective way to prevent poisoning is to strictly investigate the management department, prohibit the retail of puffer fish, and if puffer fish are found, concentrate them properly.

The puffer fish that needs to be processed and eaten due to special circumstances should be processed in places where conditions permit. Before processing, toxic parts such as viscera, skin and head must be removed, muscles and blood stains must be washed repeatedly, and treated with 2% sodium bicarbonate for 24 hours. It can only be sold after inspection and appraisal, and its processing waste should be destroyed.

Of course, in order to prevent accidents, people should not take chances and eat puffer fish for greedy taste enjoyment.

Of course, if puffer fish can be cooked for a long time, its toxicity can also be ineffective.