Starry puffer fish, Arothron stellatus, from the Red Sea, Egypt.

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As all puffer fish species, Arothron stellatus, contains the highly toxic poison tetrodotoxin in his organs. In this species the poison is mainly concentrated in its ovaries. Only wild puffer fish contain tetrodotoxin as they receive it from bacteria, which they take in from surrounding waters. Aqua-cultured puffers do not contain the poison. This species an be found in temperate seas, such as Red Sea, Indo-Pacific till Japan. The name "puffer" derives from their defense strategy -to swallow air or water to increase their body size. .

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Size: 4309px × 2807px
Location: Korafi Reef, South Red Sea, Egypt
Photo credit: © Rasmus Loeth Petersen / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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