Poisonous Poisson!!

FUGU DELICACY!

Fugu Fish

Meet the fugu, aka Takifugu rubripes, a fish with the thick-lipped, thuggish face of a Chicago gangster. Fugu, or puffer fish, as it is commonly known, is a delicacy in Japan. It can also be deadly. Those who eat the liver, ovaries, gonads, intestines, or skin swallow tetrodotoxin, a powerful neurotoxin that jams the flow of sodium ions into nerve cells and stops nerve impulses dead in their tracks. They run the risk of suffering the fate of the famous Kabuki actor Mitsugoro Bando, who in 1975 spent a night feasting on fugu liver because he enjoyed the pleasant tingling it created on his tongue and lips. The tingling was followed by paralysis of his arms and legs, difficulty breathing, then, eight hours later—death. There is no known antidote.

The source of the fugu's poison is a subject of debate. Tamao Noguchi, a researcher at Nagasaki University, believes the secret lies in the fugu's diet. Puffer fish, he explains, ingest toxins from small organisms—mollusks, worms, or shellfish—that have in turn ingested a toxic bacterium known as vibrio. In experiments, Noguchi has raised fugu in cages, controlled their diet, and produced toxin-free fish.

Know more at Envitox 2019 - http://environmentaltoxicology.alliedacademies.com/

Content courtesy : Nat Geo