* Lack of parental care: Pufferfish are generally not very attentive parents. They lay eggs, and that's often the end of their involvement. There's no guarding, feeding, or teaching of the young.
* Egg-laying strategy: Pufferfish lay large quantities of eggs (sometimes thousands) in a single clutch. This strategy increases the chances of some offspring surviving, even with high predation rates.
* Limited offspring mobility: Pufferfish young are generally quite vulnerable and lack the mobility to escape predators.
* Toxicity as a defense: Pufferfish young inherit their parent's toxicity. While the exact level of toxicity varies between species and ages, the poison acts as a deterrent to many predators, giving the young some degree of protection.
So, how do pufferfish offspring survive?
* Large quantities of eggs: This strategy increases the odds of at least some offspring surviving.
* Toxic defense: The inherited toxicity discourages most predators.
* Timing of hatching: Pufferfish often time their hatching to coincide with periods of high prey abundance, giving their young access to food and a better chance of survival.
Overall, pufferfish offspring rely on their inherent toxicity and a high number of offspring to overcome the lack of parental care and their own vulnerability to predation.