Characteristics that define a pufferfish:
* Inflating: Their most famous defense mechanism.
* Spines: Primarily for defense, not for swimming.
* Toxins: Tetrodotoxin, a powerful neurotoxin, renders the fish inedible to most predators.
* Beak-like teeth: For crushing hard-shelled prey.
* Slow swimming: Their shape isn't hydrodynamic, making them slow swimmers.
What would happen without these characteristics:
* Defense: The pufferfish would be incredibly vulnerable. Without its inflation, spines, or toxin, predators would easily make a meal of it.
* Diet: The pufferfish would struggle to find food. Its beak-like teeth are crucial for breaking open crustaceans and other hard-shelled prey.
* Movement: The pufferfish would be slow and inefficient, unable to escape predators or hunt effectively.
In essence, without its defining characteristics, the pufferfish would be a completely different creature, likely unable to survive in its current environment. It might even resemble a more generic, less specialized fish.
Hypothetical scenario:
Imagine a fish that looks like a pufferfish but lacks its defining traits. This fish might be a slow, defenseless prey species that becomes extinct quickly due to its vulnerability.
Important Note: This is all speculation. It's impossible to know exactly what would happen because the pufferfish is so intimately linked to its unique features.