Puffers which belong to the family Tetraodontidae are also called blowfish, globefish, bubblefish, and others.
Because puffer fish are highly poisonous fish, offering these fish for human consumption is very rare and after a special preparation by experienced people who are familiar with removing the poisonous organ before its consumption. However, this poisonous fish turn into attractive souvenir when dead fish is processed and dried. In fact, puffers may be threatened as a result of over-fishing to meet the demands of the tourist industry.
The drying of the puffer includes the removal of the entrails of the specimen. In order to keep the inflated position of the fish, the tough skin until it is fully expanded using either compressed air or inflated balloon. Drying is done in a warm dry spot out of the sunlight so the colors don’t fade. The processors are keen to keep the original teeth and jaws attached to the skin while the original eyes could be replaced by fake fish eyes. The photos show the display of puffer fish in a souvenir open market in Alexandria (Egypt).
