Puffer Fish

[Gatorade]

Just returned from Bang Rak. There are lots and lots of dead puffer fish being washed up.

They are blown up and the wind has blown them in. It is worrying that

this may only be the tip of the iceberg as to what environmental disaster has taken place.

I expect we will see many other marine creatures washed up over the next few days.

Wonder if its related to the oil spill as reported in the Samui express??

[sbk]

Having lived on the beach for years I can tell you that deaths of puffer fish in rough weather is extremely common.

We have had bodies of the fish washing up on our shores after bad weather for years. I suspect that they either can't handle the tossing about or get bashed into the reef. Maybe something to do with puffing up with air when feeling threatened?

[Samuian]

but still strange, fish - dead because of rough seas?

maybe swept ashore... or something..as poisoned by run off sewer water, has nearly 0 oxygen!

observed this phenomenon many times during storm season end of summer back home at a rather large pond in a park..

every time the sewer system was flooded by storm water and could flow into the pond"many, many dead fish and those where carp, like koi's, fish used to the conditions of murky water!

Edited November 10, 2009 by Samuian

[mattcodes]

Choeng mon beach is the same (or was a few days ago until they cleared it up)

Edited November 10, 2009 by mattcodes

[angiud]

My guess is that, due to the shallow water around Samui, the massive flow of freshwater from the big rain last days, could cause the death of many fishes for suffocating. (less saline concentration).

2 weeks ago I saw a similar phenomenon on a beach close to Krabi (several stranded dead pufferfish)

[Gatorade]

Having lived on the beach for years I can tell you that deaths of puffer fish in rough weather is extremely common.

We have had bodies of the fish washing up on our shores after bad weather for years. I suspect that they either can't handle the tossing about or get bashed into the reef. Maybe something to do with puffing up with air when feeling threatened?

I don't think that seeing literally hundreds of dead pufferfish is common at all. There could be some deaths due to the rough weather but not in

this sort of number.

I have also been here for years and have never ever seen this before. Perhaps I have been fortunate.

Still, when the environmental protection team swings into action I'm sure that we will soon find out why!

[kosh]

I don't think that seeing literally hundreds of dead pufferfish is common at all. There could be some deaths due to the rough weather but not in

this sort of number.

I have also been here for years and have never ever seen this before. Perhaps I have been fortunate.

Still, when the environmental protection team swings into action I'm sure that we will soon find out why!

Too many new 5/6/7 star luxury resorts?

Luckily no new 450 villas, all builders went bankruptcy....

[MSingh]

Having lived on the beach for years I can tell you that deaths of puffer fish in rough weather is extremely common.

We have had bodies of the fish washing up on our shores after bad weather for years. I suspect that they either can't handle the tossing about or get bashed into the reef. Maybe something to do with puffing up with air when feeling threatened?

I don't think that seeing literally hundreds of dead pufferfish is common at all. There could be some deaths due to the rough weather but not in

this sort of number.

I have also been here for years and have never ever seen this before. Perhaps I have been fortunate.

Still, when the environmental protection team swings into action I'm sure that we will soon find out why!

Did you see any other Fish Species or just the Puffers G ??

[H2oDunc]

Unusually strong tidal surges causes it. We have had some very bad ones recently. When puffer fish feel threatened they blow themselves up with water, not air SBK They then become very bouyant and if close to the shore they are then washed up onto the beach. They cannot swim very well when puffed up and because they are being rocked about stay puffed up only exacerbating the situation. For them to be puffed up when on the beach proves they were alive when they hit the beach so not poisoned as some have suggested. It is called nature and some times it does strange things like lots of dolphins and whales beaching themselves ? There will still be thousands of these beautiful creatures swimming about though so do not panic too much

[Gatorade]

Having lived on the beach for years I can tell you that deaths of puffer fish in rough weather is extremely common.

We have had bodies of the fish washing up on our shores after bad weather for years. I suspect that they either can't handle the tossing about or get bashed into the reef. Maybe something to do with puffing up with air when feeling threatened?

I don't think that seeing literally hundreds of dead pufferfish is common at all. There could be some deaths due to the rough weather but not in

this sort of number.

I have also been here for years and have never ever seen this before. Perhaps I have been fortunate.

Still, when the environmental protection team swings into action I'm sure that we will soon find out why!

Did you see any other Fish Species or just the Puffers G ??

No, only the Puffers.

[Trickcyclist]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20403844/

Having lived on the beach for years I can tell you that deaths of puffer fish in rough weather is extremely common.

We have had bodies of the fish washing up on our shores after bad weather for years. I suspect that they either can't handle the tossing about or get bashed into the reef. Maybe something to do with puffing up with air when feeling threatened?

[Gatorade]

Unusually strong tidal surges causes it. We have had some very bad ones recently. When puffer fish feel threatened they blow themselves up with water, not air SBK They then become very bouyant and if close to the shore they are then washed up onto the beach. They cannot swim very well when puffed up and because they are being rocked about stay puffed up only exacerbating the situation. For them to be puffed up when on the beach proves they were alive when they hit the beach so not poisoned as some have suggested. It is called nature and some times it does strange things like lots of dolphins and whales beaching themselves ? There will still be thousands of these beautiful creatures swimming about though so do not panic too much

Thanks for the explanation, it seems that nature hasn't dealt the old Puffers much of a hand! Are there really so many of them

that this sort of loss has no affect? I have snorkelled extensively around here and K.P. and have never seen more than one or two

at a time around the coral.

[sbk]

Unusually strong tidal surges causes it. We have had some very bad ones recently. When puffer fish feel threatened they blow themselves up with water, not air SBK They then become very bouyant and if close to the shore they are then washed up onto the beach. They cannot swim very well when puffed up and because they are being rocked about stay puffed up only exacerbating the situation. For them to be puffed up when on the beach proves they were alive when they hit the beach so not poisoned as some have suggested. It is called nature and some times it does strange things like lots of dolphins and whales beaching themselves ? There will still be thousands of these beautiful creatures swimming about though so do not panic too much

Cheers Dunc, I didn't know if it was air or water. We get these washing up in front of our place every time there are big waves. Fortunately my dogs are old enough and learned enough to steer well clear of the bodies.

[H2oDunc]

Gaorade Hi, Puffer fish are nocturnal so tend to hide under the rocks during the daytime. The best way to see them is to do a night dive. Thats when the really big ones come out to feed. Ther is a really big one at three rocks dive site at Koh Tao