Fishes capable of bloating have a fairly extensive habitat. All species that can grow in size and belong to the puffer family are also notable for being considered the most poisonous representatives of the marine fauna.
Instructions
Step 1
The natural defense mechanisms of some living things on the planet are truly amazing. A striking example of a creative approach to protection from predators is shown by fish belonging to the blowfish family. There are many varieties of these fish, but they are all similar in one thing - the ability to inflate to unimaginable sizes. Puffers, or tetraodons, have many names. In the people, a fish that can swell and become like a ball is called a dog-fish and a ball-fish. Some species also have rather impressive needles, which is why such specimens are called hedgehog fish.
Step 2
Some varieties of blowfish live exclusively in seawater, others in fresh water. The main habitat extends along the coast of the Indian Ocean. In addition, these fish are found in coastal waters in the north of Australia. Freshwater species of blowfish are common in water bodies of Africa, Southeast and South Africa. Most of the tetraodon species have a bright color, warning that the fish is deadly. In fact, there are almost no predators in nature that risk attacking the blowfish, and there are several reasons for this.
Step 3
In stressful situations, when the fish senses danger, it is able to fill special bags with water, and some species with a special gas produced in their body and significantly increase in size. Some varieties of tetraodons can increase in size by 4 or more times. Thus, in a matter of seconds, even the smallest species of tetraodons can acquire impressive sizes that can scare off any predator. Depending on the species, the size of adult puffer fish can range from 5 to 65 cm. The largest varieties of tetraodons, inflating, can scare off even a shark.
Step 4
The ability of tetraodon fish to swell to a large size is not the only weapon of these at first glance amusing fish. The fact is that these fish are among the most poisonous on the planet. The skin, fins and internal organs of fish are filled with cyanide, so most predators bypass blowfish. The ability to swell to a large size and strong poisonousness allows these fish to survive in coastal waters and on coral reefs.
