Arothron meleagris
Guineafowl Puffer
Collection Details
Specimens
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Tetraodontiformes (Pufferfishes and Allies)
Tetraodontidae (Puffers)
Arothron
Arothron meleagris (Guineafowl Puffer)
Description
This species account was compiled from
FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2025. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, version 04/2025.)
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Characters
Body shape: short and / or deep. Body covered with prickles (Ref. 559).
Description: Characterized further by black body color; head, body and fins covered by small white spots; small spinules on head and body except around mouth, caudal peduncle and variable area of back; more developed spinules on ventral surface; short snout, length about 2.1-2.2 in head length; short and rounded caudal fin, length 4.5-5.0 in SL (Ref. 90102).
Distribution
Indo-Pacific: East Africa south to Durban, South Africa (Ref. 4919) and east to the Panama, north to Ryukyu Islands, south to Lord Howe and Easter islands. Eastern Pacific: Guaymas, Mexico to Ecuador (Ref. 9349).
Habitat Associations
Marine. reef-associated. depth range 1-73 m. Found in: coral reefs, seagrass beds.
Biology
Occurs in coral-rich areas of clear lagoon and seaward reefs, Ref. 48637. Prefers oceanic localities (Ref. 48637). Solitary (Ref. 90102). Benthopelagic (Ref. 58302). Feeds mainly on tips of branching corals and to a lesser extent on sponges, mollusks, bryozoans, tunicates, forams, algae, and detritus.
Max length: 50.0 cm TL.
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: external. Oviparous (Ref. 205).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2011-06-07. Resilience: Medium (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: commercial; aquarium: commercial.
References
Breder, C.M. and D.E. Rosen (1966) Modes of reproduction in fishes. T.F.H. Publications, Neptune City, New Jersey. 941 p.
Myers, R.F. (1991) Micronesian reef fishes. Second Ed. Coral Graphics, Barrigada, Guam. 298 p.
Randall, J.E. (1985) Guide to Hawaiian reef fishes. Harrowood Books, Newtown Square, PA 19073, USA. 74 p.
Smith, M.M. and P.C. Heemstra (1986) Tetraodontidae. p. 894-903. In M.M. Smith and P.C. Heemstra (eds.) Smiths' sea fishes. Springer-Verlag, Berlin.
Lieske, E. and R. Myers (1994) Collins Pocket Guide. Coral reef fishes. Indo-Pacific & Caribbean including the Red Sea. Haper Collins Publishers, 400 p.
Randall, J.E. and A. Cea (2011) Shore fishes of Easter Island. University of Hawai'i Press, 164 p.
Allen, G.R. and M.V. Erdmann (2012) Reef fishes of the East Indies. Perth, Australia: Universitiy of Hawai'i Press, Volumes I-III. Tropical Reef Research.
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