Biology and Ecology of Toxic Pufferfish

This is the first comprehensive book on the biology and ecology of pufferfish, also known as blowfish, swellfish, and globefish. Covering 197 species of pufferfish recorded so far from the marine, brackish, and freshwater ecosystems of the world, this important volume expounds on the toxins and associated poisonings of pufferfish. Importantly, the volume also explores the many uses of pufferfish, such as in aquariums, for their nutritional and culinary value, and for their emerging uses in the treatment of pain.

Topics covered include:

• biology and ecology of pufferfish
• profiles of the world's marine, brackish, and freshwater pufferfish species
• characteristics of TTX (tetrodotoxin) and STX (saxitoxin) of pufferfish
• pufferfish poisoning and symptoms: treatment and management
• aquarium uses of pufferfish
• nutritional and pharmaceutical values of pufferfish
• diseases and parasites of pufferfish and their management

Dr. Ramasamy Santhanam is the former Dean of the Fisheries College and Research Institute at the Tamilnadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University in Thoothukudi, India. His fields of specialization are marine biology and fisheries environment. Presently he is serving as a resource person for various universities in India. He has also served as an expert for the Environmental Management Capacity Building Technical Assistance Project, a World Bank-aided project of the Department of Ocean Development, India. He was a member of the American Fisheries Society, the World Aquaculture Society, the Global Fisheries Ecosystem Management Network (GFEMN), and the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Commission on Ecosystem Management, Switzerland. Dr. Santhanam has published 20 books on fisheries science/marine biology as well as 70 research papers.