What makes puffer fish so deadly?

Just last May, three siblings died in Villarreal, Samar after they ate a puffer fish given to them by their relatives.

The three children had a hard time breathing before they passed away.

In an episode on "Born to Be Wild," Doc Ferds said a puffer fish has a big and round body and four teeth they use to peck.

When scared, these sea creatures inflate their bladder to a size up to three or four times their regular size to intimidate predators and enemies.

Puffer fish or Butete in Tagalog contains a toxin called Tetraodontidae that can be poisonous to humans when consumed.

Marine Conservation Advocate Danny Ocampo said eating puffer fish is the only time people can get poisoned from their toxins.

"A few miligrams lang, puwede ka ng mamatay noon," he said.

Doc Ferds said a toxin of one puffer fish can cause death to 30 people and that there is no known antidote once you get poisoned by the sea creature.

Despite the danger of eating puffer fish, Daniel Abulag said he still chooses to eat it. He has been doing so since he was 10 years old.

According to Daniel, he and his family are aware of the poison but they and their ancestors know what to remove from the fish to remove the poisonous parts.

"'Pag kumakain kami wala naman kaming nararamdaman," he said.

Daniel said puffer fish tastes good and is considered a delicacy.

Aquatic Toxicologist from BFAR Marc Lawrence Romero said a person with a higher body mass can better tolerate the toxin.

However, if one person takes more than the lethal dosage, that's when adverse effects will start to show.

Experts warned people against eating poisonous sea creatures such as the puffer fish.

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) already issued a memorandum prohibiting the selling or distributing of puffer fish.

"It shall be unlawful for any person, natural or judicial, to offer for sale or distribute puffer fish as food in any state form, whether raw/fresh or processed," a part of the memo read. — Jannielyn Ann Bigtas/LA, GMA News