Papuan Toby is a small marine fish from the Tetraodontidae family. It lives in the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean.
The Papuan toby is active during the day. Sometimes, it’s sold for aquariums. It lives in various coastal reef habitats, ranging from silty to pristine reefs.
Papuan toby is found alone or in pairs near deep drop-offs, while young ones live in shallow estuaries.
However, this fish is not reef-safe because it can cause harm to other inhabitants of the aquarium.`
Papuan Toby Interesting Facts
- Papuan toby thrives in coral reef habitats in the Indian and Western Pacific Oceans.
- Active during the day, this fish is found alone or in pairs near deep drop-offs.
- Growing up to 3.9 inches (10.0 centimeters) long, these fish exhibit reddish-brown coloring with small blue-white spots and a distinctive black spot at the base of their dorsal fin.
- Although sometimes sold for aquariums, they’re not reef-safe due.
Papuan Toby Habitat
Papuan toby is found in the Indo-West Pacific region, specifically in the eastern Indian Ocean and western Pacific.
This fish is found in coral reefs with clear water, both in lagoons and along slopes or drop-offs between 6 to 50 meters deep.
It prefers tropical waters with temperatures between 21°N to 25°S and longitudes from 72°E to 171°E.
| Water Temperature: | Unknown |
| Water pH: | Unknown |
| Water Hardness: | Unknown |
Papuan Toby Physical Characteristics
Size: 3.9 inches (10.0 centimeters)
Papuan toby grows up to 3.9 inches (10.0 centimeters) long. It has 8 to 10 soft rays on both its dorsal and anal fins.
Its body color is reddish-brown with small blue-white spots covering its head, body, and tail fin.
The eyes have blue spokes, while the snout and back show blue lines. There’s a noticeable black spot with a blue edge at the base of the dorsal fin.
The body’s depth at the anal fin’s origin measures between 2.1 to 2.7 times its standard length (SL).
While, the head length ranges from 2.3 to 2.7 times SL, and the snout length is about 1.3 to 1.5 times the head length.
The depth of the tail’s narrow part, or caudal peduncle, is around 1.7 to 2.2 times the head length, and it has a slightly rounded tail fin.
Papuan Toby Reproduction
Papuan toby reproduces by laying eggs, which is known as being oviparous.
Papuan Toby Scientific Classification
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Tetraodontiformes |
| Family: | Tetraodontidae |
| Genus: | Canthigaster |
| Scientific Name: | Canthigaster papua |
| Also Known As: | Papuan Toby |
| Conservation Status: | Unknown |