Tess Gridley, from Sheffield, was walking with her family on Muizenberg Beach in Cape Town, South Africa, when she encountered hundreds of stranded “evil-eyed” pufferfish

A British expat has discovered hundreds of stranded “evil-eyed” pufferfish - each armed with a poison more deadly than cyanide.

Tess Gridley, from Sheffield, encountered the mass stranding at Muizenberg Beach in Cape Town, South Africa, while walking with her family.

Now the South African government has identified the creature as the lethal evileye pufferfish and warned locals to steer clear.

Dr Gridley, a scientist who moved to Africa in 2009, estimated that hundreds had washed up.

“The beach is 200 metres from our house and we were on a family walk,” she said.

“I can't say how many were there as I only looked in a small area – I was with my kids and dog, and prepping for fieldwork so it was a short visit.

“But if you did count it would have exceeded hundreds.”



In a statement, South Africa’s Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries said the species carried a killer neurotoxin called tetrodotoxin.

It’s a poison more lethal than cyanide and it causes death by respiratory failure after paralysing the diaphragm.

The ministry’s statement read: “The fish mortalities in False Bay are exclusively of the evil-eye pufferfish with counts of 300 to 400 dead fish per km of shore.

“These dead fish all carry the deadly neurotoxin tetrodotoxin and should not be eaten; death comes usually by cardiac arrest.

“Beach dog walkers are strongly advised to keep their pets away from them. If one’s dog does eat whole or part of a pufferfish, immediately induce vomiting and rush your pet to the vet.”

One dog has been killed as a result of the mass stranding already, according to the AfriOceans Conservation Alliance, a local NGO.



Meanwhile, the cause of the incident remains a mystery.

Previous mass strandings have been caused by red tides – an algal bloom that changes the water’s colour, and which produces natural toxins.

However, the ministry statement notes that “there are no reports of any adverse water conditions or red-tide toxins that may have caused this”.

It’s also possible that the fish were blown to shore after puffing themselves up, either during a mass courtship or as a response to big waves.

In any case, Dr Gridley – who studies marine life as part of the Sea Search organisation – believes the public has a part to play in future strandings.



“Keep a look out and report what you see,” the mum-of-two said.

“Don't be alarmed, these events happen from time to time in natural systems.

“There is now an important role for citizen scientists in reporting these events through social media. We are learning a lot more about the marine environment these days from such reports.

“If possible, collect photos and videos which can then help to identify species, and offer interesting insights into what’s living in our oceans.”

Source: https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/hundreds-evil-eyed-fish-deadlier-23811499

Very dangerous fish

If this was in Nigeria. You would have seen newspaper reports like" Mystery illness kill hundreds in remote village ".
People should know that everything that look like food is not actually food.

Nothing dangerous about this fish...


This fish go make sense with eba and egusi soup. Just slice am into 3 pcs, dont boil it, instead deep fry it.

I just dey imagine how the gills go dey chrunchy for mouth when u dey chew am

Deeper life

Teroterorist and Neutroteroterorist is the caused, another problem for biology to study.


Thank God I don pass that stage of calculus and biology.

Hmm

Haaaaaaa.
Nothing wey Musa no go see for gate
Now na evil-eyed fish wey dey poisonous pass cyanide.

Make this fish try this nonsense for any beach or coast in nigeria.
Hin go know say our fire and cooking pot different from that of South Africa.
By the time they use ogogoro cook am.
Him go regret appearing in naija.


By now, people go just feel say na GOD send am to do easter for his people.
Wahala



#the future is Olosho

What is our business with the "deadly fish"?

A little reminder that your President is on a vacation in another country

If Na naija by now pot for don full I swear, different kind soup with different kind swallow
Jesus is Lord

My dear ladies, if you need money this time, contact Judas Iscariot. They just paid him�

Vulturegrill, what to grill is available. Please do well to give some to your darling daddy.

Used to watched fishermen throw this fish back in the water years back as a kid, I used to wondered why... Now I know better.

.

If this one land for naija there'll be mass burials

See oyinbo madness, just cook pepper soup, u're there shouting evil eyes and poison...

evil eye......satan shoe blood....the things we see these days na wa o

Make dem use this fish cook Eba and Egusi for buhari nah?

If it was Nigeria, they would have started BBQ already and peppersouo. They would have all. Died.

Righteousness oya over to you

If them born them fish well, make them come Naija.

Nigerians go chop them clean mouth


Nigerians wey dey chop every nonsense wey them see.

Hmmm, see how gentle looking they're looking but carry a poison more potent than cyanide itself.

I'll boil very well before eating

Weird....
Not every edible is eat able!!!
Proactivity Leads To Productivity!!!
@Secontier

Benjaniblinks:

I'll boil very well before eating

Then You Will Die Very Well before you die.