Guineafowl Puffer

Family: Pufferfishes (Tetraodontidae)
Size: Up to 50 cm (20 in)
Depth: 3 – 25m (10 – 80ft)
Distribution: Tropical Indo-Pacific and Eastern Pacific (Gulf of California to Ecuador).

Identification:
A heavy-bodied, clumsy swimmer with two distinct personalities.

• The Spotted Phase (Common): The most common form is dark brown or black, covered entirely in small white polka dots (like a Guineafowl bird). This is the phase most often seen in Bahia Solano.
• The Golden Phase (Rare): Occasionally, you may spot an individual that is bright, solid yellow. This is the same species, just a different color morph (the "Golden Puffer").
• Shape: It has a boxy, rounded body with small fins. It lacks pelvic fins and "hovers" using its pectoral fins.

Behavior:
The coral cruncher.

• Diet: Unlike many other fish, the Guineafowl Puffer is a specialized corallivore. It uses its powerful, beak-like fused teeth to bite off the tips of branching corals (like Pocillopora) to eat the polyps inside. It also eats sponges and tunicates.
• Defense: Like all puffers, it can swallow water to inflate its body size when threatened, making it difficult for predators to swallow. Its skin also contains tetrodotoxin, a potent neurotoxin.