Pangaas – The Pufferfish!
Bunju – In Swahili!
November 18th 2018.
Most of us have do nicknames – some of us know what others call us straight into our faces – or in some cases – behind our backs!
I have been nicknamed as Magic or Magic Man – but that is a different story for now – with the exception that it was first the English girls whilst studying in UK in the 1970s could not pronounce my first name as Majid! They resorted to the easier name to remember as Magic – and eventually developed into Magic Man etc.
It took a twisted turn later why I was so called – but that too is a different story for now!
It is also a pseudonym and pen name that I had used when in The Old Frustration Days I used it in The Public Forums! But with what I wrote – soon people recognised who I was really!
Few people also know that I was called Pangaas by my Baluchi Speaking Compatriots and Peers! The word should not be confused with the Swahili version – which means Big Knife! It is the Baluchis peers who called me this – not The Swahili Speaking ones!
Anyway, as far as I understand it still – Pangaas was a reference to The Pufferfish! See about the fish below!
Why did they call me this? Simple – as they said! Apart from the fish can turn cyanide and venomous when being attacked by predators – including men – but the real reason was the fish would blow up into a balloon shaped fish at the slightest touch provocation!
They told me – That is you Majid! I do not know if they are right or not – but the name stuck to this very day!
I know many people think I am very sensitive – and that even includes my family too! My British Boss used to tell me – you need thick skin (ears) to work in this place – but you Majid are very Soft Centred – and it is easy for people to annoy and upset you – for what many people would consider minor trifles – best to ignore! It also comes from your desire for always a win-win situation!
Anyway, thought I shall just pass this across – for now!
Pangaas – Majid Al Suleimany!
November 18th 2018.
Happy National Day 48th Anniversary!
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PUFFER FISH (PANGAAS)!
COMMON NAME: Pufferfish
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Tetraodontidae
TYPE: Fish
DIET: Carnivores
GROUP NAME: School
SIZE: Up to 3 ft
SIZE RELATIVE TO A TEACUP:
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ABOUT PUFFERFISH
Biologists think pufferfish, also known as blowfish, developed their famous “inflatability” because their slow, somewhat clumsy swimming style makes them vulnerable to predators. In lieu of escape, pufferfish use their highly elastic stomachs and the ability to quickly ingest huge amounts of water (and even air when necessary) to turn themselves into a virtually inedible ball several times their normal size. Some species also have spines on their skin to make them even less palatable.
Toxicity
A predator that manages to snag a puffer before it inflates won’t feel lucky for long. Almost all pufferfish contain tetrodotoxin, a substance that makes them foul tasting and often lethal to fish. To humans, tetrodotoxin is deadly, up to 1,200 times more poisonous than cyanide. There is enough toxin in one pufferfish to kill 30 adult humans, and there is no known antidote.
As Food
Amazingly, the meat of some pufferfish is considered a delicacy. Called fugu in Japan, it is extremely expensive and only prepared by trained, licensed chefs who know that one bad cut means almost certain death for a customer. In fact, many such deaths occur annually.
Population
There are more than 120 species of pufferfish worldwide. Most are found in tropical and subtropical ocean waters, but some species live in brackish and even fresh water. They have long, tapered bodies with bulbous heads. Some wear wild markings and colors to advertise their toxicity, while others have more muted or cryptic coloring to blend in with their environment.
They range in size from the 1-inch-long dwarf or pygmy puffer to the freshwater giant puffer, which can grow to more than 2 feet in length. They are scaleless fish and usually have rough to spiky skin. All have four teeth that are fused together into a beak-like form.
Diet
The diet of the pufferfish includes mostly invertebrates and algae. Large specimens will even crack open and eat clams, mussels, and shellfish with their hard beaks. Poisonous puffers are believed to synthesize their deadly toxin from the bacteria in the animals they eat.
Threats to Survival
Some species of pufferfish are considered vulnerable due to pollution, habitat loss, and overfishing, but most populations are considered stable.
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