White-spotted Puffer is a medium to large-sized fish, endemic to the Indo-Pacific region, from the Red Sea to the eastern Pacific Ocean.
It has also been seen in the Mediterranean Sea near Cyprus.
This fish is found at depths of 3 to 35 meters in different environments like reefs, lagoons, estuaries, and tidepools.
Its diet consists of algae, mollusks, tunicates (sea squirts), sponges, corals, anemones (zoanthids), crabs, worms (polychaetes), starfishes, sea urchins, krill shrimp-like creatures (krill), and small fish (silversides).
Adult white-spotted puffers are active at night and prefer living alone. They can be territorial and somewhat aggressive toward other creatures sharing their space.
They live around outer reef slopes down to 50 meters deep as well as inner reef flats and lagoons.
Baby puffers often live in areas with lots of plants within estuaries. This fish is also poisonous and not suitable for reef aquariums.
White-spotted Puffer Interesting Facts
- White-spotted puffers grow up to 19.7 inches (50.0 centimeters) long and are poisonous.
- They inhabit the Indo-Pacific region in various environments like reefs, lagoons, and estuaries.
- Their diet includes algae, mollusks, sea squirts, corals, anemones, crabs, worms, starfishes, sea urchins, krill shrimp-like creatures (krill), and small fish (silversides).
- Adult white-spotted puffers prefer a solitary lifestyle and are active at night.
White-spotted Puffer Habitat
White-spotted puffer is found in the Indo-Pacific region, from the Red Sea and East Africa to Panama.
It also lives north toward southern Japan and Hawaii, and south to Lord Howe and Rapa islands.
It’s also present in the Eastern Pacific from Baja California and the Gulf of California down to Panama.
White-spotted puffer is a marine fish that can also live in brackish water environments.
It inhabits coral reefs, doesn’t migrate, and is found at depths of 1 to 50 meters (about 3 to 164 feet).
This fish swims close to the bottom of their habitat (benthopelagic) while searching for food.
The preferred temperature for this fish is around 77°F (25°C), but it can adapt to other temperatures as well.
It thrives in tropical climates between latitudes of 36°N to 36°S, and 24°E to 77°W.
| Water Temperature: | Unknown |
| Water pH: | Unknown |
| Water Hardness: | Unknown |
White-spotted Puffer Physical Characteristics
Size: 19.7 inches (50.0 centimeters)
White-spotted puffer grows up to 19.7 inches (50.0 centimeters) long and weighs around 2 kg.
This fish has some unique features like a greenish-brown body with white spots on the back, sides, and tail fin, white bars on the belly, one curved lateral line (a sensory organ) on its side, small spines that cover most of the body except for snout and tail base, two fleshy tentacles at each nostril and limited gill opening.
Some of its other characteristics are:
- The snout is short and blunt, measuring about twice its head length,
- Around its eyes and fins, there are white and dark grey lines in a circular pattern,
- The space between its eyes (interorbital width) is 2.6 to 3.1 times its head length, and
- Its tail fin is rounded in shape.
White-spotted Puffer Reproduction
White-spotted puffer reproduces by laying eggs, which is known as being oviparous.
White-spotted Puffer Scientific Classification
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Tetraodontiformes |
| Family: | Tetraodontidae |
| Genus: | Arothron |
| Scientific Name: | Arothron hispidus |
| Also Known As: | White-spotted Puffer |
| Conservation Status: | Least Concern |