Biology:Blackspotted puffer
| Blackspotted puffer | |
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| Typical form above, yellow below | |
Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Tetraodontiformes |
| Family: | Tetraodontidae |
| Genus: | Arothron |
| Species: | A. nigropunctatus
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| Binomial name | |
| Arothron nigropunctatus (Bloch & J. G. Schneider, 1801)
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The blackspotted puffer (Arothron nigropunctatus), also known as the dog-faced puffer, is a tropical marine fish belonging to the family Tetraodontidae.
Distribution and habitat
This species is found in tropical waters from the Indian Ocean to the central islands of the Pacific Ocean, roughly equalling the Indo-Pacific, except the Red Sea.[2]
It lives close to external reef slopes and lagoons from the surface to 25 m (82 ft) depth.[3]
Description
Arothron nigropunctatus is a small sized fish which grows up to 33 cm (1 ft) length.[3] Its body is oval shape, spherical and relatively elongated. The skin is not covered with scales. The fish has no pelvic fin and no lateral line. The dorsal fin and the anal fin are small, symmetric and located at the end of the body. Its snout is short with two pairs of nostrils and its mouth is terminal with four strong teeth.[4]
The yellow colour morphs of Arothron nigropunctatus is often difficult to distinguish from the yellow colour morphs of Arothron meleagris.[5] Suspected hybrids between the two species have also been observed at Réunion Island. [6]
Feeding
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Arothron nigropunctatus feeds on benthic invertebrates, sponges, algaes, coral like Acropora tips, crustaceans and mollusks.[7]
Behaviour
This pufferfish is diurnal, solitary and territorial.[4]
Defense
Arothron nigropunctatus holds the deadly poison tetrodotoxin, which protect it from predators. In order to ward off potential enemies, they can inflate their bodies by swallowing air or water.
References
- ↑ Shao, K.; Liu, M.; Jing, L.; Hardy, G.; Leis, J.L.; Matsuura, K. (2014). "Arothron nigropunctatus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2014. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2014-3.RLTS.T193804A2279524.en. https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/193804/2279524. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
- ↑ "Descripciones y artículos sobre Arothron nigropunctatus - Encyclopedia of Life". http://eol.org/pages/204574/details#distribution.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Arothron nigropunctatus, Blackspotted puffer: aquarium". https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Arothron-nigropunctatus.html.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Lieske & Myers,Coral reef fishes, Princeton University Press, 2009, ISBN 9780691089959
- ↑ Su, Jinxiang; Tyler, James C. (1986). "Diagnoses of Arothron nigropunctatus and A. meleagris, Two Extremely Polychromatic Indo-Pacific Pufferfishes (Pisces: Tetraodontidae)". Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 138 (1): 14–32. ISSN 0097-3157. https://www.jstor.org/stable/4064849.
- ↑ Bourjon, P; Chanet, B (2017-12-01). "Two cases of probable hybridisation between the pufferfishes Arothron meleagris (Anonymous 1798) and A. nigropunctatus (Bloch and Schneider 1801) on a fringing reef at Réunion Island". African Journal of Marine Science 39 (4): 503–507. doi:10.2989/1814232X.2017.1393005. ISSN 1814-232X. https://doi.org/10.2989/1814232X.2017.1393005.
- ↑ "Descripciones y artículos sobre Arothron nigropunctatus - Encyclopedia of Life". http://eol.org/pages/204574/details#trophic_strategy.
- Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2006). "Arothron nigropunctatus" in FishBase. November 2006 version.
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Wikispecies has information related to Arothron nigropunctatus |
External links
- Photos of Blackspotted puffer on Sealife Collection
Wikidata ☰ Q728458 entry
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