Canthigaster rostrata
Sharpnose Puffer
Collection Details
Specimens
Photos
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Tetraodontiformes (Pufferfishes and Allies)
Tetraodontidae (Puffers)
Canthigaster
Canthigaster rostrata (Sharpnose Puffer)
Description
This species account was compiled from
Composite (multiple sources) (McEachran, J.D. and J.D. Fechhelm. Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico. University of Texas Press, Austin.)
and processed using AI-assisted text extraction.
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Characters
Minute nostrils, indistinct lateral line, fleshy keel on back, relatively long and acute snout, single nostril surrounded by fleshy rim, concave interorbital region, eye slightly above dorsal margin of head, arch-shaped gill opening, gill rakers 6-7 on first arch, measurements (% SL): head length 36%-41%, snout length 23%-27%, eye diameter 9%-11%, interorbital width 10%-12%, pectoral fin length 14%-16%, uninflated body depth 32%-40%, pectoral fin rays 16-18, dorsal fin rays 10, anal fin rays 9, caudal fin truncate to slightly convex, small spinules on lower head and abdomen
Brown dorsally with faint blue spots, white with bluish tint ventrally, upper and lower margins of caudal peduncle and caudal fin black, lower margin of caudal peduncle with wavy or diagonal blue lines
Distribution
North Carolina and Bermuda to northern South America, including the northern and southern Gulf of Mexico
Habitat Associations
Tropical and warm temperate Atlantic, associated with coral reefs, shallow water
Coral reefs
Biology
Algae, sea grasses, sponges, hydroids, polychaetes, sea urchins, starfishes, crabs, and other crustaceans
Maximum known size 110 mm TL
Inhabits reefs and marginal habitats such as seagrass beds (Ref. 43205). Diet consists of seagrass, sponges, crabs and other crustaceans, mollusks, polychaete worms, sea urchins, starfishes, hydroids and algae (Ref. 13442). Monogamous (Ref. 52884).
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: external; mating system: monogamy; guarders (nesters); parental care: maternal. Oviparous (Ref. 205). No parental care according to Ref. 38836.
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2011-06-08. Resilience: High (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: commercial; aquarium: commercial.
References
Longley and Hildebrand 1941
Böhlke and Chaplin 1968
Randall 1968a
Randall 1996
Bright and Cashman 1974
Hoese and Moore 1977
Hoese and Moore 1998
Castro-Aguirre and Márquez-Espinoza 1981
Robins and Ray 1986
Boschung 1992
Schaldach et al. 1997
Smith 1997
Smith-Vaniz et al. 1999
Shipp 2002
Randall, J.E. (1967) Food habits of reef fishes of the West Indies. Stud. Trop. Oceanogr. Miami 5:665-847.
Breder, C.M. and D.E. Rosen (1966) Modes of reproduction in fishes. T.F.H. Publications, Neptune City, New Jersey. 941 p.
Randall, J.E. (1996) Caribbean reef fishes. Third Edition - revised and enlarged. T.F.H. Publications, Inc. Ltd., Hong Kong. 3nd ed. 368 p.
Claro, R. (1994) Características generales de la ictiofauna. p. 55-70. In R. Claro (ed.) Ecología de los peces marinos de Cuba. Instituto de Oceanología Academia de Ciencias de Cuba and Centro de Investigaciones de Quintana Roo.
Moura, R.L. and R.M.C. Castro (2002) Revision of Atlantic sharpnose pufferfishes (Tetraodontiformes: Tetraodontidae: Canthigaster), with description of three new species. Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. 115(1):32-50.
Whiteman, E.A. and I.M. Côté (2004) Monogamy in marine fishes. Biol. Rev. 79:351-375.
Comments On Canthigaster rostrata