Japanese puffer, Tiger puffer, Torafugu
Takifugu rubripes, commonly known as the Japanese puffer, Tiger puffer, or torafugu (Japanese: 虎河豚), is a pufferfish in the genus Takifugu. It is distinguished by a very small genome that has been fully sequenced because of its use as a model species and is in widespread use as a reference in genomics.
The species is known from the Sea of Japan, East China Sea and Yellow Sea north to southern Sakhalin, at depths of 10–135 m (33–443 ft). It is a demersal species. Spawning occurs in estuaries; young fish can tolerate a wide range of salinities and will remain in river mouths and lagoons, maturing for one year before migrating permanently to the open ocean.
As some other pufferfish, some organs of the Japanese puffer contain tetrodotoxin and are highly toxic. The toxin is highly concentrated in liver and ovaries, slightly present in the intestines and flesh, and absent from skin and testes.
The Japanese puffer is classified as Near Threatened by the IUCN. It is one of the most valuable commercial fishes in Japan, and although current catches (101 tonnes / year in 2004, down from a peak of 2,000 tonnes in 1987) are small compared to those of many other commercial species such as sardines and anchovy, they appear to be unsustainable and prevent the recovery of the species from earlier over-exploitation. Gear restrictions (most catches occur by longline fishing) and adjustments of fishery seasons to protect juveniles have been recommended to aid recovery. The species is extensively raised in aquaculture.
