The pufferfish gag circulates online as a short standalone reaction clip, shared on soundboards and in meme edits rather than tied to a confirmed film or show source. Its appeal comes from the unusual source of the noise, since a fish gagging feels unexpected and instantly readable even without any picture. Creators reuse it as a punchline for bad food, strange textures and over-the-top disgust, often looping the image of the fish or cutting away at the peak of the splutter for comic timing.