A pufferfish doesn't hold its breath to stay pumped up; it is able to continue breathing through its gills while inflated. Pufferfish aren't exclusively marine; there are dozens of freshwater and estuarine species across South America, Africa, and Asia.

Tetrodotoxin found within pufferfish is the same toxin present in the bite of the blue-ringed octopus. In both cases, the toxin, which is 1,200 times more poisonous than cyanide, is produced by symbiotic bacteria that live harmlessly with the host.

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Pufferfish meat, or fugu, is a delicacy in Japan and can be prepared only by specially licensed chefs. Despite this, there are reports of up to 50 pufferfish-related deaths per year.

These innocuous-looking fish are ready for defense mode, but what else makes them unique?

1.A documentary team filming dolphins recently recorded them purposefully catching and chewing on pufferfish, which the team claimed was having an intoxicating effect on the mammals.

2.Due to its role in inflating the body, the pufferfish’s stomach is not involved in digesting food.

3.Tetrodotoxins extracted from the masked puffer were found to have anti-cancer properties.

4.Pufferfish are most toxic immediately prior to and during the reproductive season, due to a link between toxin production and reproductive hormones.

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5.While there isn’t a particular number of times that a puffer can inflate in its lifetime, it is a stressful process. They are unable to inflate repeatedly due to fatigue.

6.The star pufferfish undergoes a dramatic color change as it matures, from bumblebee-like contrasting stripes to more-subtle spots.

7.Small amounts of tetrodotoxin are passed from mother to egg to protect the babies against predators.