![]() ![]() Pufferfish can vary from two inches to up to several feet in length. The majority of them are marine-water fishes (read: require a salt water aquarium). However, she said that there are 40 types of puffer fish found in brackish waters (a mix of salt and fresh water), and 29 species are found in freshwater. There are more than 120 different species of puffer fish, said Kristin Claricoates, DVM at Chicago Exotics Animal Hospital. If you’re considering adding a puffer fish to your aquarium, or just want to learn more about these fish, here are ten facts about this exotic fish species: Fact #1: Species Abound! But if you look beyond the spikes, you’ll find a fish with a fascinating background. Last Thursday, the couple’s daughter Ng Ai Lee posted on her Facebook, calling for authorities to look into those selling pufferfish on social media.When we think of puffer fish, most of us conjure an image of a bloated-looking fish with 360-degree quills. “The probability of consuming poisonous ones is quite high so it is better for them to refrain from selling pufferfish at all,” said Tai, urging fishmongers and suppliers to do the right thing. “There are more than 120 species of pufferfish worldwide but only two types are considered safe to consume. Tai said that in Japan, only trained and licensed handlers were allowed to handle the fish, whereas its processing and handling here was usually done by foreign workers employed by the fishermen. “However, some fishermen will choose to keep the pufferfish, gutting and cleaning it before selling this for about RM15 per kg,” he said, adding that he is aware of many who still sell the fish. “But as experienced fishermen, we would throw away the pufferfish as it is unsafe even for our fish to consume. “The rejected catch would either be discarded back into the sea or ground into a paste as fish feed at our kelong (offshore platform). “When the fishermen sort their catch, creatures such as small fish, crabs and pufferfish are rejected as these are deemed unsafe for consumption or do not have market demand. Tai, who is also the association’s Johor Baru chairman, said pufferfish could usually be found in fishing nets inadvertently along with other types of catch. On March 30, former Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said pufferfish which contain dangerous toxins were not allowed to be sold in Malaysia under Section 13 of the Food Act. She died later that evening while Ng, who showed similar symptoms, slipped into a 10-day coma in the intensive care unit before succumbing on April 8. It caused the elderly woman to experience breathing difficulties and shivers. ![]() ![]() On March 25, 84-year-old Ng Chuan Sing Eng Kuai Sin and his wife Lim Siew Guan, 83, ate pufferfish after buying and cooking it for lunch on March 25. “I urgently appeal to fishmongers and suppliers to refrain from selling the fish as it brings dire consequences to those consuming it, including poisoning and death,” he said during the Johor Baru Fish Suppliers’ Association 44th anniversary celebration here yesterday. The fish contains toxic enough to kill a person even when ingested as little as 25mg. “The elderly couple from Kluang, who died after consuming the fish in March, is not a one-off incident as there have been similar cases, including one in Kulai last year. Malaysia Fish Suppliers’ Association deputy president Tai Wai Sun said the fish was still being sold in the market despite reports of fatalities from eating it. JOHOR BARU: Fishermen and fishmongers around the country have been urged to immediately stop selling the poisonous pufferfish (ikan buntal) to prevent the risk to people’s health. ![]()
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