| Species name (scientific) | Lagocephalus sceleratus (Gmelin, 1789) |
| Species name (English) | Elongated puffer |
| Class | Actinopterygii |
| Family | Tetraodontidae |
| Genus | Lagocephalus |
| Impacts |
| Elongated puffer is a carnivore that preys, when in smaller size, on shellfish and when larger on molluscs. Findings suggest that mollusc populations (squid, octopus, cuttlefish) decline sharply upon the introduction of elongated puffer. In addition to its economic and ecological damage, silver-cheeked toadfish is dangerous to human health due to a neurotoxin, tetrodotoxin (TTX), in its flesh. This toxin is known to be 1,000 times more poisonous than cyanide. |
| Natural Range |
| Indo-Pacific origin. |
| Introduction Pathway |
| Introduced to Turkish waters by way of Suez Canal. |
| Range in Turkey |
| Casual in Sea of Marmara and Black Sea; established populations occur along the entire Aegean and Mediterranean coasts of Turkey. |