White-spotted Puffer

Family: Puffers (Tetraodontidae)
Size: Up to 50 cm (20 in) | Common: 35 cm
Depth: 3 – 50m (10 – 160ft)

Distribution: Widespread Indo-Pacific and Eastern Pacific (Baja California to Panama and Ecuador, including the Galapagos).

Identification: A slow-moving, heavily built fish with unmistakable markings.

• Color & Pattern: The body is grayish-brown to greenish with a white belly. The back and sides are covered in distinct, widely spaced white spots.
• The Eyes & Fins: Look for the prominent white concentric rings encircling the eyes and the base of the pectoral fins. The fins themselves often have a yellowish or translucent hue.

Behavior: A toxic cruiser of the reef.

• Defense Mechanism: Like all puffers, they lack pelvic fins and are relatively slow swimmers. If threatened, they can rapidly swallow water to inflate their highly elastic stomachs into a large sphere, making them nearly impossible for predators to swallow.
• Toxicity: Their skin and internal organs contain tetrodotoxin, a potent neurotoxin produced by symbiotic bacteria, making them deadly to consume.
• Diet: They use their heavy, fused beak to crush hard-shelled invertebrates like crustaceans, mollusks, and sea urchins, as well as grazing on algae and sponges.