Skip to content

Pufferfish

Porcupine Pufferfish
  • Scientific Name: Diodon holocanthus
  • Types: Also called Long-Spined Porcupinefish.
  • Habitat: Coral reefs, lagoons, and shallow coastal waters.
  • Diet: Crustaceans, mollusks, and sea urchins.
  • Reproduction: Sexual; external fertilization with eggs hatching into larvae.
  • Spotting Tips: Look for a round body covered in sharp spines that stand up when inflated.
  • Countries: Found in tropical and subtropical oceans worldwide, including the Caribbean, Indo-Pacific, and Red Sea.
Northern Pufferfish
  • Scientific Name: Sphoeroides maculatus
  • Types: Also known as Sugar Toad.
  • Habitat: Shallow coastal waters, bays, estuaries, and seagrass beds.
  • Diet: Crustaceans, mollusks, and small invertebrates.
  • Reproduction: Sexual; eggs are laid in shallow waters and guarded by males.
  • Spotting Tips: Look for its small, stout body with a yellow-brown back, white belly, and dark spots.
  • Countries: Found along the Atlantic coast of North America, from Canada to Florida
Dog Faced Pufferfish
  • Scientific Name: Arothron nigropunctatus
  • Types: Also known as Blackspotted Puffer.
  • Habitat: Coral reefs, lagoons, and reef flats in tropical waters.
  • Diet: Algae, sponges, coral polyps, and small invertebrates.
  • Reproduction: Sexual; external fertilization with planktonic larvae.
  • Spotting Tips: Notice its unique dog-like face, grayish body with yellow tones, and dark spots around the eyes.
  • Countries: Found across the Indo-Pacific region, including the Maldives, Fiji, and Australia.
Starry Pufferfish
  • Scientific Name: Arothron stellatus
  • Types: Also called Stellate Puffer.
  • Habitat: Coral reefs, sandy bottoms, and lagoons in tropical seas.
  • Diet: Crustaceans, mollusks, sponges, and coral.
  • Reproduction: Sexual; they release eggs and sperm into the water column during spawning.
  • Spotting Tips: Look for its large, dark body sprinkled with small white star-like spots.
  • Countries: Found widely in the Indo-Pacific, from the Red Sea to Australia.
Map Pufferfish
  • Scientific Name: Arothron mappa
  • Types: Also known as Scribbled Puffer.
  • Habitat: Coastal reefs, lagoons, and seagrass beds in tropical waters.
  • Diet: Algae, sponges, coral, crustaceans, and small invertebrates.
  • Reproduction: Sexual; external fertilization with eggs that hatch into planktonic larvae.
  • Spotting Tips: Recognizable by its pale body covered with intricate, dark, maze-like lines resembling a map.
  • Countries: Found across the Indo-Pacific region, from the Red Sea to Papua New Guinea and northern Australia.