Silver-cheeked toadfish

Silver-cheeked toadfish is a large pufferfish with an elongated, torpedo-shaped body, silvery sides, and a darker, mottled back. Adults can reach up to 1 m in length. Like other pufferfish, it has the ability to inflate its body as a defense mechanism. It is native to the Indo-Pacific, and has entered the Mediterranean Sea through the Suez Canal. Since the early 2000s, it has spread rapidly, first recorded in the eastern Mediterranean and now found as far west as the central Mediterranean. Its expansion has raised ecological and socioeconomic concerns: it preys on a variety of fish and invertebrates, damages fishing gear, and poses serious risks to human health due to accidental consumption. Its flesh contains tetrodotoxin, a potent neurotoxin that makes it highly poisonous if consumed.