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Bony fish

Stellate Puffer

Arothron stellatus

Also known as: Black-lined Pufferfish, Blowfish, Diagonal-banded Toadfish, Giant Pufferfish, Pufferfish, Star Puffer, Starry Puffer, Starry Pufferfish, Starry Toadfish, Swelltoad, Toadfish

LCLeast ConcernIUCN Red List, 2014
LIFE STAGE
Add a photo
Adult
1
@bottleofscotch1 · Taba Heights, Egypt · September 20131 / 13

Showing details for the adult stage. Switch stages to see how it differs.

01

Overview

Found over sandy coral slopes and patch reefs, in clear lagoons and seaward reefs.

These are the largest Pufferfish.

The bodies of Pufferfish are covered in a toxic mucus, if the skin or flesh is consumed it can be fatal to humans.
When threatened they will puff up like a football to deter predators.

02

How to identify

COLOURS
Pattern
blotchesmap linesspots
Behaviour
inflates

Tap any trait to see other fish that share it.

03

Habitat & where to find it

Where the adult stage lives, and where its photos were taken.

  • Range · Indo-Pacific
  • Country only · 13
LIVES IN

Found over sandy coral slopes and patch reefs, in clear lagoons and seaward reefs.

RANGE
04

Adult photos 13

05

Discussion

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    ALL STAGES
    FOR THE MARINE-BIOLOGY CURIOUS

    Deep dive

    Taxonomy

    1. kingdomAnimalia
    2. phylumChordata
    3. classTeleostei
    4. orderTetraodontiformes
    5. familyTetraodontidae
    6. genusArothron
    7. speciesArothron stellatus (Anonymous, 1798)

    SourcesWoRMSFishBase

    06

    More in the family

    Puffers (Tetraodontidae)

    Bandtail Puffer

    Sphoeroides spengleri

    4 photos

    Bennett's Sharpnose Puffer

    Canthigaster bennetti

    12 photos

    Bicolored Toby

    Canthigaster smithae

    8 photos

    Black-spotted Puffer

    Arothron nigropunctatus

    39 photos

    Blue-spotted Puffer

    Arothron caeruleopunctatus

    8 photos

    Blue-spotted Toby

    Canthigaster cyanospilota

    3 photos

    Bullseye Puffer

    Sphoeroides annulatus

    3 photos

    Checkered Pufferfish

    Sphoeroides testudineus

    6 photos

    Compressed Toby

    Canthigaster compressa

    13 photos

    Crown Toby

    Canthigaster coronata

    1 photo

    Eyespot Pufferfish

    Dichotomyctere ocellatus

    1 photo

    Grass Puffer

    Takifugu niphobles

    1 photo