Tetraodontidae is a
family of primarily marine and
estuarine fish of the
order Tetraodontiformes. The family includes many familiar species, which are variously called
pufferfish,
puffers,
balloonfish,
blowfish,
bubblefish,
globefish,
swellfish,
toadfish,
toadies,
honey toads,
sugar toads, and
sea squab. They are
morphologically similar to the closely related
porcupinefish, which have large external spines (unlike the thinner, hidden spines of Tetraodontidae, which are only visible when the fish has puffed up). The scientific name refers to the four large teeth, fused into an upper and lower plate, which are used for crushing the shells of
crustaceans and
mollusks, their natural prey.