THE DEPARTMENT of Fisheries and Marine Research has issued a warning after deadly pufferfish appeared in fishermen’s nets across the island.
The authorities have warned the fishing community to be on their guard, as the fish are highly poisonous and can cause death if ingested.
The House Agriculture Committee has discussed the issue, with the Ministry of Agriculture and the Veterinary Services informing fishermen and fish markets of a potential problem, in order to ensure the fish do not mistakenly end up in restaurants.
Market checks have already been put in place.
There are two species found in Cyprus. The Lagocephalus spadiceus can grow to 40cm in length and can weigh between to two to three kilos. Its back and upper flank is silver grey in colour. There is a bright silver stripe on the side, with the belly white.
The Lagocephalus sceleratus, which can grow to 60cm, has similar colourings but also displays black spots on its back.
According to the former director of the Fisheries Department, Andreas Demetropoulos, “there exist three species of Lagocephalus in the Mediterranean, but up until now, we have only noticed the spadiceus and sceleretus in Cyprus waters.
They are not typically Mediterranean species, but invasive ones, which appeared from the Red Sea 50 to 60 years ago.
“We believe they arrived for the first time in our waters five to six years ago.”
Agriculture Minister Photis Photiou stated that it was only now that the fish were being caught in nets. “I have issued fishermen with strict instructions on what to look out for and they must not offer the fish, which have no commercial value, for sale,” he said. “I am also urging the public to be aware and careful.”
He noted that it had come to his attention that Egypt had recently reported fatalities after several people ate the fish.
The Department of Fisheries warning states that if ingested, “symptoms include a numbing of the mouth, tongue and face, stomach pains, diarrhoea, vomiting, paralysis and respiratory problems, which can lead to death. No antidote is available.”
It has been said that Paphos area fishermen have been eating them without suffering any ill effects; however, a fisherman from Xylofagou claims that his cats died after being fed the fish.
Pufferfish toxin is called tetrodotoxin, an exceptionally lethal poison 1,200 times deadlier than the neurotoxin cyanide. It is estimated that a single pufferfish has enough poison to kill 30 adult humans. Some also believe up that there is also enough poison to kill up to a dozen elephants.
The eyes and internal organs of most pufferfish are highly toxic, but nevertheless the meat is considered a delicacy in Japan and Korea. The name ‘fugu’ is used both for the fish that are eaten and for their meat.
Some pufferfish also produce a powerful neurotoxin in their internal organs, making them an unpleasant, possibly lethal, meal for any predatory fish that eats one. This neurotoxin is found primarily in the ovaries and liver, although smaller amounts exist in the intestines and skin, as well as trace amounts in muscle tissue and in its blood.
Pufferfish, also called blowfish, swellfish, globefish and balloonfish, are fish making up the family Tetraodontidae, within the order. They are named for their ability to inflate themselves to several times their normal size by swallowing water or air when threatened.
The scientific name, Tetraodon, refers to the fact that they have four large teeth, fused into an upper and lower plate, which are used for crushing the shells of crustaceans and molluscs, their natural prey.
They can be found worldwide from about 45 degrees latitude north to 45 degrees latitude south, mostly in salt water near coral reefs or the shore, but some species also live in fresh water.
