They're called toadfish because they sound similar to a toad. Toadfish are the fourth most common fish found in Miami's Biscayne Bay, but though they are plentiful in the bay, they are not easily seen.
Toadfish tend to reside in still, shallow water and bury themselves in the sandy bottom. Even in a laboratory tank, they make their home in any closed, confined space. "They have a really strong jaw, with stubby teeth that are meant to crush mollusk shells, crustaceans and things like that," said Walsh.
"It is ironic. You look at this fish that has a face only a mother toadfish could love, it sits on the bottom, and hides from predators. But to think that this lowly, ugly fish could help us with human health is pretty remarkable. It never ceases to amaze me that out there in nature there are all of these secrets waiting to be unfolded," said Walsh.
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