Sharpnose Puffer
Canthigaster rostrata
- Class
- Ray-finned fish
- Rarity
- Common
- Observations
- 1,614
- Most observed in
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Conservation
- Least Concern
Description
Canthigaster rostrata, commonly known as the Caribbean sharp-nose puffer, is a pufferfish from the Western Central Atlantic. The Caribbean sharp-nose puffer is a small fish with a maximum length of 12 cm or approximately 4.7 inches. It can be encountered from the coast of South Carolina to Venezuela, including Bermuda, the Gulf of Mexico, and in the Caribbean Sea. They can live up to 10 years in the wild, females typically live longer due to aggressive male territory behavior. The Caribbean sharp-nose puffer is a highly toxic species of marine fish due to the presence of tetrodotoxin in its tissues and organs. Despite its toxicity, the sharp-nose pufferfish occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade.
Summary adapted from the Wikipedia article “Canthigaster rostrata”.