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Toxic Pufferfish Invade Crete: Urgent Warning for Swimmers

Friday, 3 July 2026/Source: CretaOne/1 min read

A video circulating from Crete shows pufferfish, locally known as lagokephalos, aggressively competing for food and injuring one another in the process. The footage has attracted widespread attention online. Pufferfish are an invasive species in the Mediterranean and are extremely toxic. All parts of the fish contain tetrodotoxin, a potent poison with no antidote. Swimmers and snorkelers should avoid handling any pufferfish encountered in Cretan waters, whether dead or alive, and should never consume them. Fishermen who accidentally catch one should release it carefully without direct contact. If you see one washed up on a beach, do not touch it and alert local authorities. The species has become increasingly common along Crete's coastline in recent years.

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