Fish of the Lagocephalus genus of the Tetraodontidae (pufferfish or puffers) family of the Tetraodontiformes order of the Acanthopterygii superorder.
(Silver-cheeked toadfish. Photo © fishesofaustralia.net.au)
Silver–cheeked toadfish (Lagocephalus sceleratus) was first described in 1789 by the German doctor, botanist and chemist Johann Friedrich Gmelin (1748-1804).
It inhabits the depth of 18-100 meters. It prefers to swim close to the sandy bottom near the rocks. The maximum recorded length is 110 cm, specimens about 40 cm long are more often found. The maximum weight is 7 kilograms. It feeds on crustaceans and squids.
(Silver-cheeked toadfish. Photo by © Jean-Lou Justine. fishbase.org)
It entered the Mediterranean Sea through the Suez Canal. It has been found in the Adriatic Sea several times.
The fish flesh contains tetrodotoxin, which is a strong non-protein poison of neuroparalytic action that is best known due to the Japanese “fugu” dish, which is usually cooked from a relative of silver-cheeked toadfish, that is, Takifugu rubripes, and is found in the flesh of the latter as well.
Names of silver-cheeked toadfish (Lagocephalus sceleratus) in other languages as follows:
Ezüst csikóhal (Hungarian), Λαγοκέφαλος (Ljagokefaljos) (Greek), Ballon à bande argentée (French), Čtverzubec stříbropásý (Czech).