Animalia Life
Arothron hispidus
FAMILY
Tetraodontidae
TAXONOMY
Arothron hispidus Linnaeus, 1758, India.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
French: Tetrodon marbrй; German: Weissflecken-Kugelfisch;
Afrikaans: Witspikkel-blaasop; Japanese: Sazanamifugu.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Body elongate, robust, and capable of inflation with water.
There are small spines on the body, except for the snout and
caudal peduncle. The jaw teeth are fused but separated by a
median suture. There are 10–11 soft rays in both the dorsal and
anal fins. The caudal fin is rounded. Two fleshy tentacles
emerge from each nostril. The gill opening is restricted, and
the single lateral line is bent. The color is greenish brown with
small white spots on the back, flanks, and caudal fin. The belly
has white bars. Grows to at least 19.7 in (50 cm) in total length.
DISTRIBUTION
Tropical and subtropical waters of the Indo-Pacific from the
Red Sea and East Africa to Panama and the Gulf of California;
also north to Japan and throughout Micronesia and Polynesia
as far as the Hawaiian Islands and Rapa Island and south to
Australia and Lord Howe Island.
HABITAT
Coral and rocky reef slopes, lagoons, and inner reef flats over
sand, rubble, or patch reefs. Juveniles found among weeds in
estuaries or on reef flats. Depth range is 3.3–164 ft (1–50 m).
BEHAVIOR
Solitary and territorial. Individuals may bury themselves partially
in the sand.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Omnivorous, feeding on fleshy coralline or calcareous algae,
detritus, sponges, corals, anenomes, tube worms, mollusks,
crabs, echinoderms, and tunicates.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Not well known. Probably lays demersal eggs. Larvae are
pelagic.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Not listed by the IUCN.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
Collected for the aquarium trade.
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