Teleostei (teleosts) >
Tetraodontiformes (Puffers and filefishes) >
Tetraodontidae (Puffers) > Canthigasterinae
Etymology: Canthigaster: Greek, kanthos = the outer or inner corner of the eye, where the lids meet, 1646 + Greek, gaster = stomach (Ref. 45335); punctata: Name from Latin 'punctata', referring to the many small spots at the dorsal half of the body.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; reef-associated; depth range ? - 92 m (Ref. 138128). Tropical
Western Indian Ocean: Mascarene Submarine Ridge.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 8.7 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 138128)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal soft rays (total): 10; Anal soft rays: 10. This species is distinguished by the following set of characters: D 10; A 10; pectoral fin 10. Colouration: dorsal half of the body light brown when preserved in alcohol with many small dark brown spots; side of the body with an elongated horse-shoe shaped brown band; pale caudal fin with several vertical lines; upper and lower caudal fin base with a dark brown spot (Ref. 138128).
Body shape (shape guide): short and / or deep; Cross section: compressed.
Most probably inhabitng coral or rocky reefs, similar to other sharpnose puffers (Ref. 138128).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Matsuura, K., 1992. A new sharpnose puffer, Canthigaster punctata (Teleostei: Tetraodontidae) from the Mascaren Submarine Ridge, Western Indian Ocean. Bull. of the National Sci. Mus. Ser. A (Zoology) 18(3):127-130. (Ref. 138128)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
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