Blackspotted Puffer

Arothron nigropunctatus

We've talked about Pufferfish more generally in the past, getting a quick overview of the 121 different members of the Tetradontidae family, but today we'll cover one of these brilliantly colored fish more specifically.

Meet the Blackspotted Puffer, a species that can grow to about 1ft in length that lives in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. They also happen to be popular in aquariums due to their friendly looking faces and general lack of agression (though they have some intense care requirements).

Blackspotted Puffers can come in a variety of different colors, including yellow, white, and blue. They always have their namesake black spots, regardless of their overall color. Like all Puffers, they can inflate their bodies to a large size in order to ward off predators.The Puffers themselves are predators in their own right. They feed on Corals, Crustaceans, and various types of Mollusk.

And have I mentioned that these fish are toxic? Eating them can actually cause death!

---

IUCN Status : Not Listed
Location : Indian and Pacific Oceans
Size : Length up to 1ft (32cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Actinopterygii -- Order : Tetraodontiformes
Family : Tetraodontidae -- Genus : Arothron -- Species : A. nigropunctatus