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363 Featured Specimen
Map pufferfish

Details

Map pufferfish

Arothron mappa

Size
40–65 cm · 2–5 kg
Diet
Carnivore
Activity
Diurnal
Sociality
Solitary
Lifespan
10–15 years

The map pufferfish is a large puffer marked with maze-like lines. It searches reefs for bottom-dwelling prey and inflates when threatened.

Range

Habitat range map
Native range Occasional / Transient
Pacific OceanPacific OceanPacific OceanIndian Ocean

Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)

Details

Habitat

It lives in lagoons, coral reefs, and outer reef slopes across the Pacific, the Indian Ocean. Adults usually cruise alone along reef edges and sandy patches.

Appearance

Length 40-65 cm; weight 2 kg-5 kg. A pale body is covered with dark lines that resemble contour marks on a map. The rounded form, large eyes, and beak-like dental plates are typical of puffers.

Behavior

Diurnal and solitary, it normally swims slowly. When threatened it relies on inflation and chemical defenses rather than speed.

Feeding

A carnivore, it bites mollusks, crustaceans, sponges, and small reef animals. Hard prey is crushed with fused tooth plates.

Reproduction

Adults release eggs into the water during spawning. Larvae drift in plankton before juveniles move onto shallow reefs.

Notes

It is listed as Least Concern, though local populations can still be affected by habitat change, collection, or pollution.