Blackspotted puffer
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(Redirected from Arothron nigropunctatus)
| Blackspotted puffer | |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Tetraodontiformes |
| Family: | Tetraodontidae |
| Genus: | Arothron |
| Species: | A. nigropunctatus |
| Binomial name | |
| Arothron nigropunctatus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801) |
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The blackspotted puffer or dog-faced puffer, Arothron nigropunctatus, is a pufferfish of the family Tetraodontidae, and can be found in reefs throughout the Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean. It reaches a maximum length of 33 cm.
It has a round shape with a head and snout which at times looks like a seal or a dog. It can come in a variety of colors, although most commonly blue. The distinctive identifying item are the black spots. It feeds on algae, corals, sponges, sea squirts, crustaceans and molluscs.
Like most puffers, blackspotted puffers are highly poisonous, making them dangerous or even deadly to eat. In order to ward off potential enemies, they can inflate their bodies by swallowing air or water.
[edit] References
- Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2006). "Arothron nigropunctatus" in FishBase. November 2006 version.
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