noun
- a marine fish that can inflate its body with water or air as a defense mechanism, often having spines and containing toxic substances
Usage: also called blowfish or globefish; some species are highly poisonous
Examples
- The pufferfish inflated itself into a large ball when threatened by the predator.
- Pufferfish are found in tropical and subtropical waters around the world.
- Some species of pufferfish contain tetrodotoxin, a deadly poison.
- The aquarium has a pufferfish exhibit that is very popular with visitors.
- When startled, a pufferfish can expand to three times its normal size.
- Fugu, a Japanese delicacy, is prepared from pufferfish by specially trained chefs.