n. 1. a fish eaten as a delicacy, especially in Japan. It is highly dangerous because of a potent nerve poison (tetrodotoxin) in its ovaries and liver. Chefs require special training to learn how to remove the poisonous parts, and in Japan they must be licensed. In Japan it is called fugu. Deaths due to ingestion of the meat of this fish occur almost every year.
Syn. -- sea squab, puffer, puffer fish. [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ] 2. any of numerous marine fishes of the family Tetraodontidae whose elongated spiny body can inflate itself with water or air to form a globe; several species contain tetrodotoxin, a potent nerve poison; they are closely related to spiny puffers.
Syn. -- puffer, globefish. [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ] | 