A researcher has discovered a rare puffer fish with a poison capable of killing 30 people

Posted: 11/29/2020 5:34 PM / Updated 11/29/2022 5:34 PM

(Credit: Personal Archives/Constance Morris)

Marine animal expert Constance Morris stumbled upon a very rare and deadly fish while enjoying a family holiday on a beach in Cornwall, southern UK. This animal, the oceanic puffer fish, has a poison 1200 times more dangerous than cyanide – a poison capable of killing by poisoning in less than 5 minutes. The venom of each animal is capable of killing 30 adults. The case took place on November 21.

“While waiting for my family to meet, I was looking at the beach when I noticed some black-backed gulls pecking at a fish. As I walked up to the animal, I knew immediately that it was an unusual find,” said Constance. Interview with a local newspaper. Cornwall Live🇧🇷 He said: “(The animal had) a sliver of cheese on its back, a flabby white underside, and a stocky face that hid its most prominent feature, the beak. None of our local fish had beaks. So I knew it was something a little more tropical,” he said.. The expert .

The fish has been identified as an oceanic puffer fish lagocephalus lagocephalus🇧🇷

The ocean puffer fish bears the scientific name Lagocephalus lagocephalus
(Photo: Personal Archives/Constance Morris)

Morris has a history of recording dead marine animals in the Cornwall Wildlife Trust’s marine grieving network, a wildlife monitoring organization in the area. With the intent of examining the fish for academic purposes and sharing information with institutions dedicated to the study of marine life, the researcher kept the animal in her freezer.

“I am always prepared for this kind of situation. In any case, it is advised not to touch the body. I carry a special kit with me, so that I can put the fish in a bag and put it in my bag safely,” he said. “It’s very important to record these things because they give a better indication of what’s going on in our oceans,” says Morris.

Cornwall Wildlife Trust marine conservation officer Matt Slater has issued a warning to swimmers if they come across other fish of this species. “They can produce toxic slime, so it’s best to handle them with gloves. Like all puffer fish, they produce tetratoxin, which is dangerous, especially if ingested.

Pufferfish are native to the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian oceans. Although the fish is rare, it has been found with some frequency in the Mediterranean in recent years. However, Morris noted that it was very unusual for this fish to appear on British soil.

* Interned under Pedro Gregory

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