Guineafowl Puffer
Guineafowl Puffer
Arothron meleagris
UncommonTetraodontidaeCiguatera risk
ID points
- Ink-black body covered in dense, even white spots
- An entirely golden yellow colour form also occurs
- Round, plump body with small pectoral fins paddling constantly
Basics
- Family
- Tetraodontidae
- Length
- 25–50 cm
- Depth
- 3-73 m
- Regions
- Indo-Pacific reefs
- Distribution
- Coral reefs of the tropical Indo-Pacific
- Habitat
- Tropical coral reefs
- Diet
- Coral branch tips and algae
Easily confused with
Blackspotted PufferSparse large black spots on a grey-blue or yellow ground
PufferfishSwells into a ball with water when alarmed, pushing out short spines
Sharpnose PufferLong pointed snout; slimmer than an ordinary pufferFun fact
The whole body is speckled with bright pearly white spots, and when it inflates it becomes a perfect sphere. It is one of the most elegant-looking pufferfishes.
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