[G]uineafowl puffer is commonly harvested [in the marine trade]
Snorkeling at Kealakekua Bay Marine Life Conservation District affords you the opportunity to quickly see many of the reef fish species of the Hawaiian Islands. This photo was taken on my wife's birthday during her first-ever snorkeling trip. Upon entering the water, we were immediately greeted by a bevy of fish. We saw yellow tang, sergeant majors, butterfly fish, eels, parrot fish, humuhumunukunukuapua'a aka trigger fish, and more.
This photo is of a guineafowl puffer, which is also known as a golden puffer. Its scientific name is Arothron meleagris. It lives in the Indo-Pacific and Eastern Pacific. This species has seen a decrease in its population, which has two contributing factors. One factor is the destruction of coral reefs. Fifteen percent of the coral reefs around the globe have become effectively lost, which means that 90% of the corals were either dead or not in a position to recover. The other contributing factor is the marine aquarium trade, in which the guineafowl puffer is commonly harvested.
There are three distinctive color patterns that these pufferfish can have. The most common is the one you see here with a dark brown background and many white spots. The second variety has a yellow body with black spots. Lastly, there's a color variation which is a mix of the two patterns: where one part of the body is brown, while the sides, belly, and head are yellow. The areas where the body is dark have white spots, and the area where the body is yellow has black spots.
Pufferfish are part of the Tetraodontidae family, which includes both marine and freshwater fish. There are many common names: pufferfishes, puffers, blowfishes, balloonfishes, toadies, swellfishes, sea squabs, globefishes, and more. This fish related to the porcupinefish, which have long external spines. Most pufferfish species are toxic, including some of the most poisonous vertebrates in the world. The meat of some species is considered a delicacy in Japan, Korea, and China. The nontoxic northern puffer is commonly eaten as a delicacy and is harvested from Chesapeake Bay.
Most pufferfish species are toxic
Did you know?
- The diet of the guineafowl puffer consists primarily of corals and invertebrates, such as tunicates, algae, sponges, and urchins.
- The maximum length of the guineafowl puffer is 20 inches. This make it one of the largest pufferfish.
- Underwater you can hear the sound of this pufferfish as it crunches on coral with its beak-like teeth.
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