The smooth toadfish (Tetractenos glaber) is a species in the pufferfish family Tetraodontidae. It is native to shallow coastal and estuarine waters of southeastern Australia, where it is widespread and abundant. French naturalist Christophe-Paulin de La Poix de Fréminville described the species in 1813, though early records confused it with what is now the only other member of its genus, the common toadfish (T. hamiltoni). Up to .mw-parser-output .frac{white-space:nowrap}.mw-parser-output .frac .num,.mw-parser-output .frac .den{font-size:80%;line-height:0;vertical- align:super}.mw-parser-output .frac .den{vertical-align:sub}.mw-parser- output .sr-only{border:0;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);clip-path:polygon(0px 0px,0px 0px,0px 0px);height:1px;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;padding:0;po sition:absolute;width:1px}16 cm (6+1⁄4 in) long with distinctive leopard-like dark markings on its upperparts, the smooth toadfish has a flattened belly and an elongate body tapering to a slender tail. Its back and fins are rounded. Unlike most of its relatives, it does not have prominent spines on its body. Like other pufferfish, it can inflate itself with water or air. It forages for its preferred foods—molluscs and crustaceans—in sandy or muddy sediment. The smooth toadfish's flesh contains the poison tetrodotoxin, and eating it can be fatal.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smooth_toadfish

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1776:

American Revolutionary War: As George Washington's Continental Army retreated northward from New York City, the British Army captured the village of White Plains. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_White_Plains

1928:

Indonesian composer Wage Rudolf Supratman introduced "Indonesia Raya", now the country's national anthem. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indonesia_Raya

1971:

Prospero (flight spare pictured), the first British satellite launched on a British rocket, lifted off from Launch Area 5B in Woomera, South Australia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prospero_%28spacecraft%29

2013:

The first terrorist attack in Beijing's recent history took place when members of the Turkistan Islamic Party drove a vehicle into a crowd, killing five people and injuring thirty-eight others. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_Tiananmen_Square_attack

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

Panathenaea: (Ancient Greece, historical) A festival formerly held annually in Athens to honour the city's patron goddess Athena, involving animal sacrifices, a grand procession, and, every fourth year, athletic and musical contests. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Panathenaea

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

Some people are constructive … Others are destructive. It's this diversity in humankind that results in some making positive contributions and some negative contributions. It's necessary to have enough who make positive contributions to overcome the problems of each age.   --Jonas Salk https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Jonas_Salk