Pufferfish Catch

Here’s a trick! I saw it done twice in the same week. Catch a puffer fish in your bare hand. I have to say that as fast as I can swim with fins on, and I’m no slouch, it’s safe to say that the smallest fish is faster than me. And the other question I think I can now answer is what does a puffer puff? So we’re on a night dive. Suddenly to my right there’s a diver holding a puffer in his hand. Later he told me that they don’t move if you shine your light on them. I guess it’s like the proverbial deer in the headlights. This diver was a goofy young kid whom I had marked as ‘stay away,’ he’s not yet completely safe in the water. So I was surprised by his boldness. And what do they puff? Well there’s no air, so it would have to be water. Aha! Yes, he did feel squishy. Why puff?… to make them too large a bite to eat. Yup, more fun facts.