XXL pufferfish Taxidermy full body mount - Tetraodontidae...

PUFFERFISH Tetraodontidae Tetraodontidae are a family of freshwater and saltwater bony fishes belonging to the order Tetraodontiformes, commonly known as pufferfishes. Pufferfishes are morphologically very similar to porcupinefishes, which have large external spines on the body, whereas puffers carry much finer spines that are generally hidden and visible only when the fish inflates into a ball. The name Tetraodontidae derives from Greek, meaning "four teeth," and refers to the fact that pufferfishes all have four broad teeth fused into two plates, one upper and one lower, used to break shells and hard exoskeletons of mollusks and crustaceans, their natural prey. The majority of pufferfishes are venomous, and some are even among the most poisonous vertebrates known. In fact, in some species certain internal organs such as the liver, and sometimes even the skin, contain tetrodotoxin, one of the most potent neurotoxins known. They are distributed in most tropical waters around the globe. Pufferfishes mainly feed on mollusks, crustaceans, jellyfish, and coral polyps, breaking their shells or exoskeletons with their four very hard teeth and powerful muscles. Although not an excellent swimmer due to the rigidity of their body, puffers are not typically preyed upon because they possess two special defense systems: they can rapidly gulp large amounts of water, becoming very large and difficult to swallow even for large predators; moreover, their viscera and muscles contain a very potent toxin, tetrodotoxin, a neurotoxin that inhibits respiratory function, rapidly leading to death. Beautiful lot: specimen BIG SIZE. Stand not included, mounted on repurposed material used solely for photographic purposes. Happy bidding.

Estimate:$179.79

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