Tiger puffer fish farmed for the Japanese fugu market face specific welfare challenges around their territorial aggression, handling, and slaughter practices.
Tiger puffer fish in communal rearing systems engage in territorial aggression causing biting injuries to fins, limbs, and sensory barbels of lower-ranked fish. Beak trimming used to prevent biting causes pain and impairs natural feeding behaviour. The complex sensory systems of puffer fish, including their ability to detect electromagnetic fields and sounds, suggest they experience their environment in sophisticated ways that should be considered in welfare assessment. Pre-slaughter handling and slaughter practices in fugu production require welfare evaluation.