Species · GBIF taxon 2407418
Guineafowl Puffer
Arothron meleagrisAlso known as Golden Puffer, White-spotted Puffer, Guinea Fowl Pufferfish
Guineafowl puffers navigate tropical reefs with a slow, hovering propulsion powered by their pectoral and dorsal fins. These fish exist in two distinct color phases, either a dark body covered in hundreds of tiny white spots or a brilliant, solid golden-yellow. When threatened, they swallow water to inflate their bodies into a prickly ball, deterring predators with both size and lethal internal toxins.
Reef-dwellingColor-changingToxic
Licensed referenceNPS photo - Bill Eichenlaub / Public domain · cc0
- diet
- Stony corals, sponges, sea anemones, algae, and benthic invertebrates
- family
- Tetraodontidae
- threats
- Coral reef degradation, climate change, and collection for the aquarium trade
- life Span
- 10 to 15 years
LC
Contains lethal tetrodotoxin in its skin and organs; never consume.
Internal organs and skin contain tetrodotoxin, a potent neurotoxin that can cause paralysis and death if ingested.
Do not touch or handle this fish, and never attempt to prepare or consume it.- Keep your distance: Avoid crowding or cornering them to prevent stressful inflation behaviors.
- Watch for color morphs: Look for both the dark, white-spotted phase and the brilliant golden-yellow phase.
- Observe feeding signs: Listen for the audible crunch of their fused teeth scraping coral branches.