There are many strange creatures in the oceans. One of the most unusual is the puffer fish, of which there are about one hundred kinds. It is also called by other names, such as swellfish, sea porcupine, globefish, and tiger puffer. This fish is found in all oceans, including those along the eastern and western shores of North America.
Puffers are not pretty fish, except for a few of them such as the swellfish, which is bright green on top with yellow sides and white underneath. The protruding eyes of most are unusual, sparkling green or blue and apparently able to see in about every direction at once. Otherwise, these fish are not at all attractive; they have bulging eyes, fat stomachs, rubbery fins and puckered mouths. They have no scales and some have smooth skin.
Our title says, “Beware the Puffer!” for a very good reason; they are one of the most deadly fish in the seas. They are able to raise sharp spines all over their bodies, able to bite with strong teeth, and, most importantly, able to kill with deadly poison.
Puffers, lacking a skeleton or ribs, cannot swim like other fish because their tails and fins are not able to propel them very well. Instead, they often just drift in the ocean, with their fins not doing much good and their tails merely acting as rudders. Because of this, they do not like deep waters but stay near shores where they find their food—clams, oysters, marine worms and even crabs and shrimp. The Creator has given them amazingly strong jaws and hard, sharp teeth, which easily crunch the toughest shellfish to eat the creature inside.
The name puffer describes them very well when they defend themselves. At the threat of danger, they inflate their stomachs with air or water. Their tough, elastic skin stretches until they are as round as a ball and two or three times their normal size. Then they float belly upward on the water’s surface. Some raise those strong, sharp spines on their bodies. It is rare for even a shark to tackle one. When the threat of danger is over, they return to normal size.
Do you think the Lord God, who created them, gives any thought to such strange fish? The Bible assures us that He does: “The Lord is good to all; and His tender mercies are over all His works” (Psalm 145:99The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works. (Psalm 145:9)). We may not understand why such unusual creatures were included in His creation, but we can be sure He had a purpose in creating them and now watches over them as He watches over each of us.
When we think of this, we should remember another scripture: “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good” (Proverbs 15:33The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good. (Proverbs 15:3)).
ML-04/03/2011