Brown puffer, or brown puffer, or brown dog-fish, or eye-dog-fish, or northern dog-fish (lat. Takifugu rubripes) is a species of marine ray-finned fish from the family of pufferfishes of the pufferfish order. Despite the fact that in Japan it is considered a delicacy and is very expensive, the average tourist should be very careful when meeting with her. Pricked with its needle, the fish releases poison - tetrodotoxin, which can kill a person, because the antidote for it has not yet been found. It is located both on the skin and in the internal organs, so it is strictly forbidden to cook fugu on your own. The fish reaches a length of 50 cm and is found at a depth of about 100 meters. Distributed in the south of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk (northern coast of the island of Hokkaido), in the western waters of Japan (along the mainland coast from Pusan ​​to Olga Bay; along the island from southwest coast Honshu Island to southwestern Sakhalin), the Yellow and East China Seas, along the Pacific coast of Japan from Volcanic Bay to Kyushu Island. In Russian waters Sea of ​​Japan, where it enters north of Peter the Great Bay and up to South Sakhalin, common in summer.
Fugu fish contains a lethal dose of tetrodotoxin in the internal organs, mainly in the liver and caviar, gallbladder and skin. The liver and caviar of fugu fish should not be eaten at all, the rest of the body - after careful special processing. Poison reversibly (capable of being metabolized) blocks sodium channels of membranes nerve cells, paralyzes the muscles and causes respiratory arrest. At present, there is no antidote, the only way to save a poisoned person is to artificially maintain the work of the respiratory and circulatory systems until the poison ends. Despite licensing the work of fugu chefs, every year a number of people who eat an incorrectly prepared dish die from poisoning. At present, it is possible to mass-produce puffer fish that does not contain poison. Studies have shown that puffer fish is not capable of producing neurotoxin, but only accumulates it in its body. Initially, tetrodotoxin is produced by marine bacteria, which are then eaten by a variety of living organisms.
Eating improperly cooked fugu can be life-threatening. Therefore, in order to prepare fugu in special restaurants, since 1958, Japanese chefs have had to undergo special training and obtain a license. In the past, there was a tradition in Japan according to which, in case of poisoning with puffer fish, the cook who prepared the dish had to also eat it (or commit ritual suicide).
For a long period in Japan, it was forbidden to eat fugu as food, and there was even a ban on catching fugu fish. Similar bans are now in place in some countries. South-East Asia however, they are not always effective. So, despite the ban on puffer fish in Thailand since 2002, it can still be purchased at local markets.

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Some traditional Japanese dishes fish no longer surprise anyone. Sashimi, rolls, sushi have firmly taken root in the menu of domestic gourmets. The threat from them is only in overeating. But some oriental dishes are prepared from deadly dangerous fish. First of all, this concerns the brown puffer, better known as the puffer fish or dog fish. It was the deadly dish that made puffer fish famous all over the world, but they are interesting not only for this.

The history of puffer fish

Fugu fish is one of the oldest fish

The exact time when the highly toxic dish appeared on the menu is unknown, but it is at least 2300 years old. This is the age of the oldest of the remains of pufferfish found during historical excavations in Japan. First historical information belong to the 17th-19th centuries, and they concern a complete ban on cooking from fugu throughout the territory controlled by the Tokugawa shogunate.

The Japanese took the ban in their own way - instead of completely rejecting the product, they simply began to be more careful about it. This is how methods for cutting and preparing pufferfish with minimal risks of poisoning were formed. The same technologies persist today. In the western regions of the country, the control of the shogunate was the least, and it was there that the chefs were particularly successful in preparing fugu.

During the Meiji period, the prohibition became more stringent, but was violated again. IN late XIX and the beginning of the 20th century, only the emperor could not taste the forbidden dish, while ordinary citizens secretly prepared and stubbornly consumed it.

In 1958, the issue was finally settled. A compromise solution requires the chef to have a separate license for cooking puffer fish. Now, in order to obtain this permission, you need to study at special courses for several years and pass an exam. The latter includes theoretical and practical part: the chef identifies, prepares and eats the fugu himself. Only a third of applicants pass the test. The rest of the students, of course, are not left lying lifeless in the examination room. It's just that the commission is very, very strict and does not miss a hint of error. Thanks to such precautions, it is possible to order puffer-tooth dishes in Japanese restaurants with little or no risk.

Appearance

The long lifespan of a fish is explained by the fact that predators are rarely interested in it, for them it is dangerous.

The brown puffer is a fish of the pufferfish family. It belongs to the ray-finned species, the genus Takifugu (translated as “river pig”). The body is large, strongly thickened in the anterior part, up to 50 cm long on average, there are individuals up to 80 cm or more. The back of the fish is narrow, the tail is small. The color of the body is brown, behind the fins on the sides there are black spots with white rims.

The teeth are fused, below and above they look like powerful incisors. The bones in the body are almost absent, not even the ribs.

Basic outward sign all fugu - lack of scales. Instead, the skin is dotted with sharp spines. In a calm state, they are smoothed, and at the moment of danger they provide almost absolute protection from predators. In case of danger, the cavities in the stomach area are instantly filled with air or water, inflating the fish like a balloon. It becomes three times larger. Sharp needles turn out to stick out in all directions, and no one can swallow such a creature. If this happens, then the predator will die very soon: the main defense mechanism fugu remains poison.

Habitat

Fugu is a bottom-dwelling fish found at depths of up to 100 m in subtropical climates. The view is low boreal Asiatic. Main habitats:

  • Southeast Asia;
  • Pacific Northwest;
  • Far East (both oceanic and river waters);
  • Sea of ​​Okhotsk.

IN large quantities found in the Yellow, South China, Japan (mainly in the western part) seas. Lives in the waters of Lake Chad, in the rivers Nile, Amazon, Congo, Niger.

In summer, it can be found even in the Russian part of the Sea of ​​Japan.

The common belief that fugu is an exclusively Japanese delicacy is not entirely true. It is also eaten in other countries: China, Thailand, Korea. In some regions, a non-toxic puffer is bred, but most true admirers of the dish refuse this option. Often it is the thrill of danger that is more valuable when using fugu than its taste.

The fish is non-migratory, adults often stay in bays, fry - in brackish waters river mouth. The older the individual, the farther into the sea its habitat. Before a storm, the fugu comes closer to the coast.

Duration and lifestyle

Fugu fish is still poorly understood, so there is not much information about its lifestyle.

Attempts by scientists to better understand the way of life of fugu have almost failed. The researchers found that the pufferfish cannot swim at high speed - the aerodynamic features of the body do not allow. But there is good maneuverability: they move both forward and backward, swim sideways, quickly turn around.

Despite small eyes, he sees the fugue well. It has an excellent sense of smell due to the large number of receptors located on the tentacles with nostrils under the eyes.

The average lifespan of a brown puffer in natural conditions- 10–12 years old.

Nutrition

Fugu belongs to predators, its diet consists of the strangest and most unappetizing inhabitants of the underwater world. This sea ​​worms, shellfish, starfish and urchins. Eats corals. A number of scientists argue that the exceptional toxicity of the puffer is a consequence of such nutrition. Until now, researchers cannot explain the phenomenon of non-perception of the poison of the fugu itself, despite the fact that toxins accumulate in large quantities in caviar, intestines, liver and other parts of the body. There is no poison in the fillet and skin.

reproduction

In a fugu family, the father is the more responsible parent. During the spawning season, the male courts by circling around the female. With a special dance, he invites her to sink to the bottom. If the lady is also interested, the two of them swim along the bottom for some time until they pick up a suitable stone. The female lays eggs on it, which the male immediately fertilizes.

After laying eggs, the female swims away, leaving the male to protect the offspring. He stands on a stone and closes the masonry own body in order to avoid eating offspring by numerous people.

After the appearance of tadpoles, the father prepares a depression at the bottom, transfers the fry there, and then remains to guard them. Only when the offspring begins to feed on their own, the male leaves him, having fully fulfilled his parental duty.

The danger of puffer fish

Fugu is the most dangerous and expensive dish in Japanese cuisine.

It is difficult to find a more dangerous and more expensive dish in the whole Japanese cuisine. One fish costs about $300, and a set meal with this component can cost $1,000 or more.

Extreme toxicity is due to the huge amount of tetrodoxin in the tissues of the fugu. Only one individual can cause fatal poisoning 30 people.

Tetrodoxin is 400 times more toxic than strychnine, 160 thousand times more toxic than cocaine, and an order of magnitude more toxic than curare poison.

The first symptoms of poisoning appear after 10-15 minutes. Lips and tongue go numb, salivation appears, coordination of movements is disturbed. On the very first day, more than half of those who were poisoned die, 24 hours is considered to be a critical period. There may be diarrhea and vomiting, severe pain. A person dies from respiratory arrest due to paralysis of the muscles involved in the respiratory act.

Tetrodoxin is not a protein, it works by stopping nerve impulses. Blocks the passage of sodium ions through cell membranes, while not preventing the passage of potassium ions. This is a very specific interaction with cellular structures, thanks to which tetrodoxin can already be found as an excellent pain reliever in Japanese pharmacies.

There is no antidote, but tragedy can be avoided. To do this, it is urgent to facilitate breathing and blood circulation by connecting the victim to an artificial support apparatus.

You can die without eating the fish, but only by touching the poison-soaked entrails with your bare hand.

It is difficult to complain about the high cost of fugu, given all the risks. Selling one of the ten most poisonous dishes in the world according to Time magazine low prices is not allowed. Fugu is not a relative rarity, but the complexity of its preparation is the main component of the cost.

To cook the puffer, a licensed chef takes out the liver, caviar and all the insides. A certain amount of poison remains on the surface of the fillet - and it should be just enough so that the person feels signs of poisoning, but does not die. Numbness of the palate, tongue, limbs, a feeling of slight euphoria is a sign of the special skill of the cook. This state is akin to a slight drug intoxication.

Aquarium tetraodon can be toxic, but their venom is non-lethal

Aquarium tetraodons are a range of both marine and freshwater needletails. The most desperate aquarists keep poisonous fugu, but the non-toxic ballfish will be an adornment of any aquarium. Home grown fish won't have lethal power, and yet they can all be toxic.

To avoid poisoning aquarium tetraodon, you can not feed from your hand, and even more so take it with your bare hands!

The fish are very beautiful and unusual, but caring for them is extremely difficult, just like the temperament of the ball fish itself. Having decided to breed such pets, you need to immediately think about their diet. It should contain snails with a hard shell for grinding rapidly growing dental plates.

As with breeding other inhabitants of the aquarium, the main success factors will be:

  • container of the correct size;
  • healthy diet;
  • compatible neighbors.

Their life expectancy in an aquarium is half as long as in vivo. Your puffer fish can live 5 to 10 years. The average length of an adult aquarium inhabitant is 15 cm.

Aquarium

Juveniles can be kept in tanks of about 50 liters, with an increase in the size of the fish, they need to be moved to an aquarium of 150 liters or more. If more than 5 adults are kept at the same time, the volume should be increased. If there is one pair of adults and there are few fry, a 100 liter container will suffice. large group tetraodon will feel comfortable in a 300-liter aquarium.

Water needs aeration and filtration. fresh water add some salt table salt: 1 tbsp. l. for 20 liters of water. The young also tolerate freshwater content well, but diseases may subsequently occur.

The bottom should be wide so that such large bottom fish can swim freely. Tetraodons love shade, to create it, stones of different sizes are laid out on the sand, and the rest of the area is densely sown with aquatic plants.

Care and feeding

The comfortable range of water temperature is 25-28 degrees.

  • obligatory aeration and filtration;
  • daily replacement of 1/10 of the water in the aquarium with fresh water;
  • separation of freshwater and marine tetraodon in different containers;
  • isolation of fry in a separate container.

Useful food for adults:

  • bloodworm, worms;
  • shellfish and fry;
  • crustaceans with a hard shell;
  • pipe makers;
  • correts.

Suitable for these predators and minced beef, liver, heart. Green food is not interesting for tetraodons, and dry food is contraindicated.

Diet for fry:

  • ciliates;
  • daphnia;
  • nauplia artemia;
  • Cyclops;
  • egg yolk.

Neighbours

The older the tetraodon, the higher the risk that other aquarium inhabitants will seem quite appetizing to him. Because the question of compatibility of these large predators with neighbors need to decide in advance. The ideal option would be a separate aquarium for pufferfish. If this is not possible, African or Malawian cichlids will become optimal neighbors. It is advisable to select neighbors of the same size and not to settle fish with tetraodon long fins and tails. In the latter case, there is a risk that adult predators will bite into this luxury.

Reproduction in the aquarium

At the age of 1–3 years, the fish are ready to breed. To do this, a pair of tetraodon or a male with several females is settled in a separate aquarium. The female differs from the male in not so bright spots and smaller sizes. The most successful spawning will be provided with dense vegetation, cryptocoryne and hornwort are most often used.

In the preparatory period, the water temperature must be increased, intensively fed with crustaceans and meat products. Courtship is clearly visible, it looks like the male's persistent pursuit of the female and even biting if he is ignored for a long time. If the couple sank to the bottom, the female's answer is positive, and together they will find thicker bushes for themselves. Within 1 minute, eggs are laid, sometimes remaining in free swimming. It is advisable to collect all the eggs and move them to another container, but with the same composition of water. Milky eggs should be removed immediately, they are not viable.

After 8-9 days, fry appear, which need to be fed with egg yolk for 2-3 days, after which they can be transferred to the usual diet for babies.

Despite unprecedented precautions in the preparation of fugu dishes, an average of 20 people die each year from fugu.

With the maximum concentration of poison in the fugu liver, it is this product that the most desperate thrill-seekers eat. The most notorious death from paralysis after eating puffer liver occurred in 1975. The whole country was shocked by the death of the "national treasure", the legendary kabuki actor Mitsugoro Bando.

Two Russian tourists died after eating fugu soup in 2010.

In ancient times, there was an unofficial law: if a person in a restaurant died from a dish of fugu, the cook must also commit suicide - seppuku.

Catching and selling fugu is strictly prohibited in many countries.

One of the first descriptions of puffer fish poisoning was made by James Cook, who was served an unfamiliar dish for dinner. Due to the fact that both Cook himself and his comrades barely touched the delicacy, they remained alive, although they felt severe numbness and weakness.

The underwater world is full of amazing, little-studied inhabitants. Fugu fish is one of them. She has a unique appearance, features, complex character, and seems the least adapted to coexist with us.

This did not prevent a person for more than 2 thousand years from consuming perhaps the most poisonous marine life for food and even breeding at home. For lovers of secrets, unearthly beauty and tickle their nerves, this fish will good company- as a pet or an exotic dish. In both cases, one must be aware that this creature is the embodiment of danger, and observe all precautions.

Abunavka(abunavha) or puffer fish – deadly dangerous marine predator and a delicacy for thrill-seekers. The poison contained in the fish is several hundred times stronger than cyanide, but there are still daredevils who risk their lives for a few minutes of enjoying a deadly dish of Fugu fish meat.

This annoying and quick-witted fish has the ability to starve anyone within its feeding area, destroying everything in its path that can be eaten. A poor fisherman who gets in her way will not be lucky either, he will be left not only without a catch, but also without hooks, the fugue easily bites even steel leashes.

1. General description of fugu fish (abunavka)

There are more than 90 species of Abunavok or pufferfish, 22 of which are deadly to humans. Each representative has common body structural features: bright coloration, grayish-blue stripes on the back, rounded body shape, lack of scales, the presence of spikes, a mouth-beak and two powerful, fused teeth in the upper part of the jaw and two in the lower part.

It is by the presence of such a “tooth” feature that the scientific name of the fish “tetradont” comes from, which means “four-toothed”.

The beak-shaped structure of the mouth allows this fish to easily bite the fishing line or break the coral or shell of the mollusk.

A short video about the abunavka (fugu) fish in its natural habitat

2. Distribution and habitats of fugu

This fish is found in all subtropical waters. Poisonous members of the family are found off the coast of Japan, the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

The following types of pufferfish live in the Mediterranean Sea, as well as in the Red Sea:

  • arothron hispidus or bristly (white-spotted) pufferfish - a large two-kilogram representative with a body length of up to 50 cm;
  • takifugu rubripes or Japanese fugu fish.

Abunavki - sea ​​fish. Some of them are freshwater inhabitants, not large in size (only up to 3 cm in length), which are found in Africa and India. In Israel, such fish are sold in stores for keeping in aquariums.

Freshwater reservoirs in which fugu is found:

  • the Niger river;
  • Congo;
  • Amazon;
  • Lake Chad.

3. Age and size

Life expectancy is 10 to 12 years.

4. Lifestyle

When moving, the puffer fish is not able to develop high speed, but it can maneuver well in the water. For example, swim sideways, head or tail forward. Fugu has an excellent sense of smell, due to the tentacles located near the eyes. Distinguishes perfectly different smells. For this ability, it is often called a fish-dog.

4.1. Reproduction - time and features of spawning

During the spawning period, an important place is occupied by the male, who diligently looks after the female.

The fish lays eggs on a stone, and the male immediately fertilizes it and stays near this place, closely guarding it for some more time. The male transfers the cubs that have appeared to the previously prepared hole. As soon as they begin to feed on their own, the males cease to protect them.

4.2. Diet - what fugu eats (shoes)

Fugu fish diet (abunavka):

  • sea ​​stars;
  • shellfish (crustaceans, squid, shrimp);
  • worms;
  • corals.

5. How, where, when and what to catch fugu

Fish are found everywhere. If she attacked the coastal zone, then there is no chance to catch another fish, since she scares everyone away with her presence.

5.1. Biting calendar - what time of the year and day is best to catch

They catch it both at night and during the day from early spring to autumn.

5.2. What is the best weather to fish abunavka

Windless weather, with small waves up to 0.5 m.

5.3. What are the best places to fish

Pufferfish congregate in shallow, sandy areas near estuaries or canals.

They can also be found:

  • at a depth of 6-15 m;
  • rocky coast;
  • reef and algae areas;
  • breakwaters, etc.

5.4. What gear is best for fishing abunavka

Fishermen use float, spinning tackle, and some ordinary “snack” with a hook, double or tee, on which the bait is mounted.

For example, when fishing fugu from a boat, you can use an ultra-light spinning rod with a weight of 25-30 g and a hook No. 10, attached a few centimeters above the weight.

5.5. Bait for fishing

Do not use.

5.6. What baits and baits are used to catch abunavka

5.7. How to hook

The peculiarity of the abunavka is that it does not swallow the bait, but runs into a hook with its prickly belly. Moreover, 2 or 3 fish can cling at once.

5.8. How to catch fugu correctly? - Basic techniques.

5.9. The most important moments when fishing

Observe safety precautions when removing the fish from the hook!

Abunavka (pufferfish) in case of danger has an amazing ability - to inflate like a ball, swallowing large volumes of air or water into the bags it has. Not a single marine predator will want to eat such a prickly ball. It is for this reason that this fish is called “fish-ball” in Russian, “swells” in Hebrew, “abunavka” (inflating master) in Arabic, and “puffer” (blower) in English.

The abunavka caught on the shore retains its rounded shape, and if dried, it can be used as a souvenir or made into an interior item, for example, as a lampshade.

Here is what the author of the story “Do not tease the puffer fish” V. Pasternak writes about this fish http://www.stihi.ru/2016/01/06/11449.

Colorful video about exotic puffer fish

8. Gastronomy

Since 1598, a law has been in force in Japan, according to which a cook dealing with fugu fish dishes must have a special permit (license) and learn how to cook it correctly (2 years).

The most popular dish is fugosashi, when raw fish meat is cut into thin slices and placed on a plate in the form of a rose. These pieces are dipped in a special sauce and eaten.

Why are the Japanese so eager to taste this fish? The secret is that after eating fugu fish meat, the body becomes numb and a slight euphoria sets in, but the person soon returns to normal. This happens because cooking is impossible, and it acts narcotic. All the action takes place under the close attention of the cook, so that he can call for medical help in time.

Three-minute video about cutting and preparing a popular dish in Japan

The interesting thing is that the contained poison does not lose its deadly properties even with deep freezing and heat treatment!

9. What is dangerous puffer fish for humans

The marine representatives of pufferfish in the liver, caviar and other organs contain the dangerous poison tetrodoxin, which causes muscle paralysis and respiratory arrest.

For the first time this poison was bred in 1909 by the Japanese researcher Yoshizumi Tahara. At freshwater inhabitants pufferfish also contains a deadly poison, but under a different name - saxitoxin.

What is the poison tetrodotoxin and how dangerous it is, you can read on the pages of Wikipedia

Primary symptoms of poisoning:

  • skin redness;
  • numbness of the limbs;
  • numbness of the lower jaw.

For example, the Cypriot authorities are fighting this fish in such an unusual way: they pay local residents 1 euro per caught puffer fish.

10. Useful links

— informative article about fish abunavka (fugu);

- a detailed article about the lifestyle of puffer fish, its habitats;

- a detailed article about puffer fish posted on a foreign site.

Fugu fish has many other names. The most famous of them is the ball fish. It is also called fish-dog, pufferfish and dyodont. Fugu is found mainly in the seas of Yamaguchi Prefecture.

A dish of this fish is rightfully considered the most dangerous, since certain parts of the puffer body contain a nerve poison - tetrodotoxin. Ballfish venom is 25 times stronger than curare and 275 times more toxic than cyanide. Just 1ml tetrodoto

It should be noted that in addition to poison, the pufferfish also contains very useful medicinal elements, and, above all, the analgesic tetradoxine.

The preparation of fugu is entrusted only to the best chefs who have undergone special training and have a special license. When obtaining a license, a chef passes an exam - he must not only cook fugu different ways, and but also himself to eat everything cooked. By the way, it is believed that the cook who prepared the fugu, in case of poisoning the client, must make himself a hara-kiri.

Cutting a ball-fish requires filigree precision and skill. Quick blows separate the fins, the head and the belly of the fish is opened. The poisonous entrails are then carefully removed. The fish fillet is cut into thin pieces, not thicker than a paper sheet, and washed thoroughly under running water.

Fugu dishes are very diverse. In cooking, meat, skin, liver, fins, caviar and fish milk are used.

Pieces of ball-fish are served in a certain sequence - starting from the back, in order of approaching the peritoneum. The closer the piece is to the peritoneum, the more poisonous it is. It is the responsibility of the cook, in addition to preparing the fish, to determine the safe dose for each guest. Skillful cooks leave exactly as much poison as necessary for guests to experience a state of mild drug euphoria. In this state, a person first paralyzes all parts of the body, only the eyes retain the ability to move. And in a moment everything comes to life again. For the sake of these sensations, people take a mortal risk.

One of the most popular dishes is Fugusashi (puffer sashimi). From slices of raw fugu, pictures are laid out on a dish - butterflies, birds, landscapes. The fish is eaten by dipping it in a mixture of vinegar sauce, finely chopped onion, grated daikon radish and red pepper.


THE MOST IMPORTANT

Processing fish before cooking is a rather complicated process. The main skill is to quickly cut the fish without damaging it. internal organs in which the poison is concentrated. Then the fish meat is washed with running water and beautifully served on a platter. Prices for puffer fish dishes range from $100 to $400. To date, in any major city Japan you can find a large number of restaurants offering "deadly dangerous" delicacies. Despite the statistics of victims from eating this mysterious fish, purchasing a dish in an expensive, well-established restaurant, the risk of poisoning is minimal. But he still exists! Maybe that's what makes puffer fish so popular. A special skill among cooks is the ability to leave a very small amount of poison in the fish, which can cause mild drug intoxication.

poisoning

If we talk about poisoning, then according to statistics, about 50 Japanese die every year from eating fugu, although it is correct to say from the inability to cook this fish properly. Mostly the victims are fishermen who try to cook at home fish that accidentally fell into their nets or too rich self-confident people who, for an additional reward, persuade cooks to cook for them the most tender part of the fish - fugu liver. The maximum concentration of poison is concentrated in the liver, and by eating the liver, you are already at a very serious risk.