Arothron nigropunctatus

Common Names: Black spotted puffer, blackspotted toadfish, brown puffer, dogfaced puffer, hush puppy puffer

Type Locality: Tranquebar, India

Range: Widespread in the Indo-Pacific: East Africa to Micronesia and Samoa, north to southern Japan, south to New South Wales

Taxonomic Troubles: Originally described as Tetrodon (Tetraodon) nigropunctatus. You may also see it referred to as Arothron citrinellus.

Size: 33 cm (13 inches).

Preferred Water Chemistry: Tropical marine.

Difficulty: A hardy species, provided its accommodations are sufficient for its size and its maintenance is appropriate for its special needs.

Tank Setup: As a dedicated feeder on Acropora tips and other corals, this is not a reef-safe fish! It will dine on just about any invertebrate. It is fine for a fish-only tank with tankmates of suitable size and aggressiveness, and it is quite the star in a single-sp

Feeding: A predator on invertebrates, especially mollusks and crustaceans. Also feeds on algae. As with all puffers, proper diet is needed to keep the ever-growing beak (“teeth”) worn down; food items with shells—crab legs, mussels, whole unpeeled shrimp, etc.—sho

Breeding: Not reported in captivity. It is often found in pairs on the reef.

Fish Description

A highly variable species, ranging from blue to grey to white to yellow, always with black spots. Specimens may darken or lighten in color due to environmental stimuli, and individuals may drastically change coloration during their lifetime.