Officials issue warning to beachgoers about invasive pufferfish with insanely strong teeth
Officials are warning the public about the growing numbers of pufferfish in the Mediterranean Sea off the coasts of Europe, as the fish could pose a serious threat to swimmers.
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GREECE – Beachgoers beware! If you're vacationing to a country in the Mediterranean this summer, officials are warning of a dangerous invasive species that could cause serious harm.
Officials from the European Commission are warning the public about the growing numbers of pufferfish in the Mediterranean Sea off the coasts of Europe, as the fish could pose a serious threat to swimmers.
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The pufferfish, Lagocephalus sceleratus, is an extremely aggressive carnivorous fish that eats crustaceans, fish and squid.
Tetraodon = Arothron stellatus, being washed by the cleaning fish. Ningaloo reef, Coral Bay, on the Australian western coast. Tétraodon Arothron stellatus en train de se faire nettoyer par des poissons nettoyeurs. Récif de Ningaloo, à Coral Bay, sur la côte ouest australienne.
(Xavier DESMIER /Gamma-Rapho / Getty Images)
The teeth of the invasive species are so strong that they can rip off a finger.
Unfortunately, because this fish is highly poisonous, it has no natural predators.
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Because of this, these fish often catch and eat other native species in the region, and damage fishing gear used by fishermen in countries such as Greece.
This photograph shows a red porgy (Pagrus pagrus) (R) and a ray (L) partially eaten by a pufferfish next to a fishing net, at the port of Ierapetra, on the island of Crete, on June 3, 2026. Pufferfish, a warm-water invasive species, were first spotted in Greek waters some 20 years ago and are wreaking havoc with the country's fishing industry, a pillar of the nation's agricultural exports. The pufferfish explosion in Greek waters is the latest example of how warming oceans are changing ecosystems and upturning their reliant economies.
(Angelos TZORTZINIS / AFP / Getty Images)
Greek fishermen claim that persistent pufferfish damage to nets alone has resulted in over €5,000 in damage a year.
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Due to this ongoing issue, it has also created an economic issue as the expansion of the aquaculture industry can’t keep up with the demand for aqua feed.
This is hard on countries such as Greece, which have only five fish-feed production plants.
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(David Ryder/Bloomberg / Getty Images)
In an effort to combat the economic, environmental and physical threats posed by pufferfish, the aim is to create economic incentives for the fish.
According to the European Commission, heat treating the pufferfish to remove the deadly toxin is an effort to create a profitable market for this invasive species.
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Cooking the fish at 320 degrees deactivates the poison, making it safe for human consumption, while cooking it at 392 degrees makes it disappear.
This photo shows a silver-cheeked pufferfish (Lagocephalus sceleratus) caught by a fisherman at the port of Ierapetra, on the island of Crete, on June 2, 2026. Pufferfish, a warm-water invasive species, were first spotted in Greek waters some 20 years ago and are wreaking havoc with the country's fishing industry, a pillar of the nation's agricultural exports. The pufferfish explosion in Greek waters is the latest example of how warming oceans are changing ecosystems and upturning their reliant economies.
(Angelos TZORTZINIS / AFP / Getty Images)
Officials shared that European sea bass show strong growth when pusherfish replaces up to 30% of typical fishmeal in their diets at aqua farms.
This would address the invasive species while supporting economic growth for a business that desperately needs a positive impact on production.
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Over time, this will reduce the number of invasive pufferfish while generating more income for the various professions in the fishing industry.