*Lagocephalus sceleratus* is the silver-cheeked toadfish, also called rabbitfish. It contains a neurotoxin that makes it extremely dangerous to eat.

The article explains that the poisonous rabbitfish in question is Lagocephalus sceleratus (silver-cheeked toadfish), whose body contains a neurotoxin that makes it poisonous when eaten. It notes that scientific records exist for this species in the Black Sea – initially near Crimea and later along the Turkish Black Sea coast. However, it explicitly states that as of the time of writing there are no data for an established population along the Bulgarian Black Sea coast, though the appearance of individual specimens cannot be ruled out.

The silver pufferfish and the rabbitfish are described as two "killer fish" of the Greek seas that migrated from the Indian Ocean through the Suez Canal to the Mediterranean. The article says the rabbitfish is dangerous because of its teeth and also toxic, and that consumption can even lead to death.

Lagocephalus sceleratus is the silver-cheeked toadfish or rabbit fish (for the shape of its mouth). This highly poisonous cousin of the puffer fish is one of the 90 invasive species from the Indian Ocean that entered the Mediterranean through the Suez Canal. It was first recorded in 2003 and has since been spotted everywhere in the sea. It breeds ‘like rabbits’ and devours native species, but unlike some other invasive fish you should never try to eat it, because eating it can kill you with the tetrodotoxin in its ovaries and skin. The entry describes its spread in the Mediterranean in general and does not mention Bulgaria or the Black Sea specifically.

The article explains that Lagocephalus sceleratus, known as "pufferfish" or "rabbitfish", has increasingly spread into Greek waters and more broadly in the Eastern Mediterranean. It notes: "There are isolated reports of observations in the Black Sea, but at the moment there is no evidence for an established and stable population in the Bulgarian aquatory." It stresses that, despite some sightings, a stable presence of the species in Bulgarian waters has not been confirmed.

A local publication reported that a woman was attacked by a rabbit fish (*lagokephalos*). The article states that this rabbit fish (*Lagocephalus sceleratus*) contains tetrodotoxin, that the toxin does not lose its properties during freezing or high-temperature processing, and that there is no antidote.

This report says the Greek agriculture ministry will pay 5.33 euros per kilogram to fishers for catching the invasive puffer fish Lagocephalus sceleratus, known locally as “lagokefalos” and in Bulgaria as “rabbitfish,” in a pilot program to protect marine ecosystems. It adds that the Greek Red Cross has circulated guidance on first aid after bites from this dangerous species and states that the fish is invasive for the Aegean Sea, appearing around Crete and the Dodecanese as waters have warmed. The article only discusses Greek and Aegean waters, not Bulgaria, although it notes the Bulgarian name for the fish.

SOFIA, Bulgaria, Oct. 16 (UPI) — The warming waters of the Black Sea have attracted a poisonous species of jellyfish that is spreading along Turkey's coast, scientists said. SESAME scientists are watching to see if the new jellyfish species spreads to Bulgaria's Black Sea coast, the Sofia news agency reported Friday. This report describes a poisonous jellyfish species in the Black Sea and notes concern about whether it will reach Bulgaria’s coast, but it does not mention rabbitfish.

The article describes how Greece is launching a pilot program to manage the invasive silver-cheeked toadfish in Crete and the southern Aegean, known locally as “lagokefalos” and in Bulgaria as “rabbitfish.” It notes that the Greek ministry of agriculture and food plans to pay rewards for the capture of this toxic invasive fish. The focus is on Greek waters and policy; the text does not report any confirmed catch or sighting of this fish in Bulgarian territorial waters, but mentions the Bulgarian colloquial name while describing the species’ spread in the Eastern Mediterranean.

The fishing-encyclopedia entry describes Lagocephalus sceleratus (rabbitfish) as an invasive pufferfish that entered the Mediterranean via the Suez Canal and is highly toxic due to tetrodotoxin. It explicitly states: "It is not correct to claim that rabbitfish is already massively distributed along the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. More accurate is to say that the possible appearance of such species in the region requires attention." This indicates that, as of the time of writing, reports of widespread presence in Bulgaria are considered inaccurate or premature.

This review states that rabbitfish are a documented unusual source of ciguatera poisoning in the Eastern Mediterranean basin. It provides background that rabbitfish can contain toxins relevant to human poisoning when consumed.

Studies on the toxicity of plankton and shellfish samples from the Bulgarian Black Sea coast reported PSP toxins (STX, B1, and GTX-2/3) and DSP toxins (YTX and PTX-2), although without analytical investigations for the determination of the source of the toxins. Phycotoxicity (Prymnesium parvum-associated) has been proposed as a cause of fish mortality along the Bulgarian coast. This scientific article addresses toxic microalgal species and related toxins in the northwestern Black Sea and along the Bulgarian coast, focusing on algae and shellfish toxicity and fish mortality, not on rabbitfish sightings.

Nova reports that the Greek Red Cross is warning tourists, fishermen and sea lovers about the increasing encounters with the dangerous fish Lagocephalus sceleratus, known as "pufferfish" or "rabbitfish". The piece focuses on Greek and Eastern Mediterranean waters and does not mention the fish being caught or observed in Bulgaria. It emphasizes that people should not touch caught specimens without protection and must not consume them, due to their strong neurotoxin.

In a broader story on invasive species and climate change, the outlet notes that although the pufferfish known as “balloon fish” or “rabbitfish” has not yet established a permanent population in Bulgarian waters, scientists have already recorded individual specimens in the Black Sea, including along the Turkish Black Sea coast. Marine biologists quoted warn that if the warming of the Black Sea continues at the current pace, the appearance of this fish near the Bulgarian coast may become more frequent in the coming years. No specific case of a recent catch or exact location in Bulgaria is detailed in the article.

In all samples the levels of Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Fe and Zn were under the maximum allowed concentrations for safe human consumption in Bulgaria and ranged as follows… According to these results, the consumption of these freshwater fish species is safe for human health. This study evaluates toxic and essential elements in freshwater fish from Lake Burgas and Lake Mandra (Bulgaria) and finds no health risk from metal contamination; it does not discuss poisonous rabbitfish or marine invasive species.

The report covers Greek authorities’ concern over the spread of the toxic rabbitfish Lagocephalus sceleratus in Greek waters and mentions that climate change and warming seas are facilitating its expansion from the Red Sea and Indian Ocean through the Suez Canal into the Mediterranean. Bulgarian context appears mainly as a reference point, explaining that in Bulgaria this invasive species is colloquially called “rabbitfish,” but the article does not mention any concrete incident of a rabbitfish being caught or spotted in Bulgaria itself.

The paper notes that in the EU, including Bulgaria, fishery products containing biotoxins such as ciguatera toxins cannot be placed on the market. It also says there are no reports of ciguatera poisoning in Bulgaria.

CONCLUSION: The estimated intake levels of dioxin-like PCBs in this study were several orders lower than their respective TDI for adults. The dietary intake of polychlorinated biphenyls through marine fish for the Bulgarian consumer does not pose a health risk. This paper assesses PCB-related health risks from marine fish from the Black Sea, Bulgaria; it discusses contaminants and risk but does not mention any recent catches or sightings of poisonous rabbitfish.

BG On Air reports that Bulgarians sailing in the Mediterranean near Greece caught the dangerous "rabbitfish". The article states: "Bulgarians caught in Greece the dangerous 'rabbitfish' during a voyage in the Mediterranean Sea." Video shows the fish biting and destroying an aluminum can, and the report reiterates Greek authorities' warnings not to consume it and to avoid being bitten. The catch described took place in Greek waters, not Bulgaria.

Another BG On Air article details the risks from encounters with rabbitfish in Greek waters, noting that Greek Red Cross and local authorities have taken urgent measures to inform citizens and tourists due to a sharp increase in the population of the highly toxic pufferfish (rabbitfish) in the Aegean and Ionian Seas. It reports that professional fishermen catch 100–200 specimens per day. The focus is on Greece; there is no mention of confirmed catches or sightings in Bulgarian waters.

This article says the rabbitfish has venomous spines and can sting, while some rabbitfish species also have toxic flesh. It does not report a Bulgaria sighting, but it supports the identification of rabbitfish as a poisonous or venomous fish group.

A dangerous predator breeds in the waters of the Black Sea – the grouper fish. Experts are sounding the alarm about the problem, bTV reported. This article discusses a predatory grouper fish in the Black Sea and whether it is dangerous for fishing, but it does not mention rabbitfish or any poisonous rabbitfish sightings in Bulgaria.

The regional news site Hronika-BG relays an alert from a veteran fisherman and retired veterinarian in Serres, Greece, who caught a Lagocephalus sceleratus in the Gulf of Strymonikos (Orfanski bay, near Bulgaria). He says: "I had caught a lagocephal (Lagocephalus sceleratus), a fish that takes its name from the two big front teeth in the upper and lower jaw, which make it look like a rabbit." The article explains that this fish is very toxic due to tetrodotoxin and notes that its appearance in Strymonikos bay implies it has likely spread across Greece. The catch described occurred in Greek waters adjacent to Bulgaria, but not in Bulgarian territorial waters.

In a piece on an invasive “fugu” or “rabbitfish” in neighboring seas, the video host claims there is an invasive rabbitfish that has no natural enemies and is spreading very quickly, and speculates that local chefs could learn to prepare it safely. The discussion frames the fish as present in the region but does not provide verified documentation of a specific recent catch or sighting in Bulgarian waters, and no scientific or official sources are cited to confirm such an event.

This page says *Siganus rivulatus* has venom glands associated with the spines in its fins, and the spines can envenomate a human if handled incorrectly. It also says the sting is very painful and there are no records of fatalities.

Eranova reports that the predatory rabbitfish has again been seen in the sea off the coast of Crete, attacking swimmers and fishermen. The article indicates the species is present and problematic around Crete in Greek territory. There is no reference to catches or sightings in Bulgaria; the geographic focus is Greek island waters in the Mediterranean.

This Greenpeace Bulgaria article discusses invasive marine species in the Black Sea in general, using the comb jelly Mnemiopsis leidyi as a historical example of a damaging introduction that arrived via commercial shipping in 1982 and decimated zooplankton and fish larvae. It illustrates how invasive species can dramatically alter Black Sea ecosystems. While it provides context on invasions, it does not mention Lagocephalus sceleratus or a poisonous rabbitfish in Bulgaria, focusing instead on other species like Mnemiopsis.

The page explains that the silver-cheeked toadfish, also known as rabbitfish, has a potent neurotoxin and has been found throughout the Mediterranean. It describes it as one of the dangerous invasive fish species spreading in the region.

This video describes Trachinus draco, also called Sea Dragon, as the most poisonous fish in the Black Sea. It explains that the poison of this dragon can paralyse a limb and warns that it is a dangerous fish that can be encountered in the Black and Mediterranean Seas in summer. The content is about a poisonous fish species in the Black Sea, but it is not a rabbitfish and does not mention Bulgaria specifically.

The site Day.BG, citing Greek media, reports that the Greek Red Cross has issued an official warning about the growing population of the dangerous fish Lagocephalus sceleratus, known as "rabbitfish". It notes the fish "has been registered in Greek waters since 2013" and that cases of affected people are increasing due to its spread. Greek authorities give guidance and advice on what to do if bitten. The article concerns Greece; it does not report confirmed catches or sightings in Bulgarian waters.

The text discusses various cases of poisoning from stings by marine animals in Bulgarian waters, including fish species and other fauna. It mentions a snake seen swimming calmly at the beach in Varna in October 2014 among the observations of potentially dangerous marine animals. This Bulgarian medical/academic document addresses marine animal stings and observations along the Bulgarian coast, but in the provided excerpt it does not mention rabbitfish; any mention, if present, would be elsewhere in the full text.

24 Часа summarises warnings from the Greek Red Cross about Lagocephalus sceleratus spreading in Greek waters and the risks to people. It explains that the species, sometimes called "pufferfish" or "rabbitfish", contains a neurotoxin that makes it extremely dangerous to eat. The reporting is about Greek waters; it does not discuss the situation in Bulgaria and offers no evidence of catches or sightings there.

Background knowledge from the LLM: Lagocephalus sceleratus (silver-cheeked toadfish) is an Indo-Pacific pufferfish that entered the Mediterranean via the Suez Canal and has become invasive, particularly in the Eastern Mediterranean and Greek waters. Scientific and regional reports up to mid-2026 widely document its presence in Greece and nearby seas, but there is no widely reported, officially confirmed case of it being caught or established in Bulgarian territorial waters; mentions regarding Bulgaria are typically speculative about future spread rather than confirming recent catches or sightings.

The WWF Bulgaria fisheries report describes the broader issue of invasive species in Bulgarian marine and freshwater ecosystems, noting that invasions can be extremely destructive and listing several problematic alien species affecting fisheries. While it emphasizes that invasive species are a major concern for Bulgarian waters, the document does not specifically mention Lagocephalus sceleratus or a rabbitfish being caught in Bulgaria, but supports the context that invasive fishes entering the Black Sea is a documented and ongoing phenomenon.

A Bulgarian-language Facebook video post shows large numbers of pufferfish/rabbitfish in Greek waters and states (translated): "Greek authorities and scientific institutes recommend that caught fish should not be returned to the water but destroyed, because they pose a serious threat to local species and fisheries." The post discusses Greek sea conditions and fishing practices and does not claim that rabbitfish have been caught or spotted in Bulgaria.

A YouTube news segment explains that the pufferfish (rabbitfish) was registered for the first time in Greek waters in 2005 near Crete, and that today it is spread across the whole country. The video focuses on Greek fishermen's concerns about the species' expansion in Greek seas. It does not mention Bulgarian catches or sightings, underscoring that the documented spread discussed here is within Greece.