Sharp-Toothed Pufferfish in Greece: Between Reality and Internet Meme

Greece has found itself with an unusual summer scare: a sharp-toothed, toxic pufferfish, viral videos showing it biting through cans and wood, fishermen warning that it destroys their nets, and social media turning the species into a kind of Mediterranean sea monster. As usual, the truth is less cinematic than the meme, but serious enough to deserve public attention.

The fish behind the story is the silver-cheeked toadfish, or Lagocephalus sceleratus, known in Greece as lagokefalos. It is an invasive pufferfish species that entered the Mediterranean from the Indo-Pacific, most likely through the Suez Canal, and has been recorded in Greek waters since 2005. Its spread has become more evident in recent years, especially around Crete and the southern Aegean, where it has become a real problem for coastal fishermen.

What makes the fish alarming is not only its appearance, but its biology. The silver-cheeked toadfish has powerful, beak-like jaws and ...