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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.