Home > Fishes > Puffers

Family Tetraodontidae

Puffers

Members of both families lack scales and pelvic fins.  They inflate themselves with water to become more difficult for predators to swallow or wedge themselves into the reef.  The caudal fin is reserved for short dashes while the other fins provide primary locomotion.  Puffers have short velcro-like spines and a pair of fused teeth in each jaw.  Porcupinefishes have stout spines or burrs and each jaw consists of a single cutting edge.  They are carnivorous and eat anything available but shellfish are preferred.  Members of the genus Canthigaster are known as Tobies.

Mouth showing four teeth 

Click on image for information & photos

 

HAWAII

Arothron hispidus

STRIPEBELLY PUFFER

 

Arothron meleagris

 SPOTTED PUFFER

 

 

Canthigaster amboinensis

AMBON PUFFER

 

Canthigaster jactator   

HAWAIIAN WHITE SPOTTED PUFFER

 

Canthigaster epilampra

LANTERN PUFFER

 

Canthigaster rivulata

MAZE PUFFER

 

Canthigaster coronata

CROWN PUFFER

 

Torquigener florealis

FLORAL PUFFER

 

Torquigener randalli   

RANDALL'S PUFFER

 

 


INDO-PACIFIC

Arothron nigropunctatus

BLACKSPOTTED PUFFER

 

Arothron mappa

MAP PUFFER

 

Canthigaster valentini

MODEL PUFFER

 


JAPAN

Takifugu poecilonotus

KOMONFUGU

 


TROPICAL EASTERN PACIFIC

Canthigaster punctatissima

SPOTTED SHARPNOSE PUFFER

 

Sphoeroides lobatus

LOBESKIN PUFFER