Puffer fish are the ocean’s funny little balloons! When they feel threatened, they quickly gulp in water (or sometimes air) and puff up into a big, spiky ball to scare away predators. It’s like their own built-in superhero defense system! But while they may look silly and slow, puffer fish are anything but ordinary.

These curious sea creatures live in warm ocean waters all over the world. There are more than 120 different kinds of puffer fish, and they come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, and colors. Some are teeny-tiny, while others can grow over two feet long. Most have rough skin or tiny spines that get even sharper when they puff up, making them even harder to eat.

Puffer fish aren’t great swimmers — they kind of waddle through the water with their fins. But what they lack in speed, they make up for in defense. Not only can they puff up, but many puffer fish carry a powerful poison called tetrodotoxin in their skin and organs. It’s so strong that just one fish has enough poison to harm several humans — so no touchy-touchy!

Even with all their danger-power, puffer fish are fascinating and beautiful to watch. They eat crustaceans, algae, and mollusks, using their strong beak-like mouths to crunch through shells. Some species are even popular in aquariums and sushi restaurants (although only highly trained chefs are allowed to prepare them because of the risk). Puffer fish remind us that even slow and squishy creatures can be clever survivors in the big, blue sea.