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Stars and Stripes Toadfish
Arothron hispidus (Linnaeus, 1758)
A Stars and Stripes Toadfish at a depth of 12 m, Julian Rocks, New South Wales. View larger image. Photo © T. Hochgrebe.
The Stars and Stripes Toadfish can be recognised by its colour pattern. The body is greenish to yellowish brown above and white below. The upper sides of the body and caudal fin are covered in small white spots. The lower sides have white to pale blue lines. The pectoral fin base and gill opening are enclosed by alternating dark and light rings.
This species has the typical rounded body shape of many of the pufferfishes (family Tetraodontidae). It has a single dorsal fin positioned posteriorly on the body, opposite the similarly-sized anal fin.
The Stars and Stripes Toadfish grows to 51 cm in length. Like all fishes in the family this species contains a potentially lethal toxin (tetrodotoxin) in the skin and internal organs. View the eMJA page on Puffer fish poisoning.
This species feeds on a variety of foods including algae, coral, sponges, starfish, molluscs, anemones and other invertebrates. The mouth is beak-like. Teeth, in both the upper and lower jaws are fused into two "plates". This distinctive dentition gives rise to the scientific name for the family, Tetraodontidae, which means four teeth.
The Stars and Stripes Toadfish lives in tropical and warm temperate marine waters throughout the Indo-Pacific. Habitats range from estuaries to coral reefs.
In Australia it is recorded from southern Western Australia, around the north of the country, and south to central New South Wales.
View a map of the collecting localities of specimens in the Australian Museum Fish Collection.
Related links
- Narrow-lined Pufferfish fact sheet
- Map Pufferfish fact sheet
- Blackspotted Pufferfish fact sheet
- Starry Pufferfish fact sheet
- View the Pufferfishes list
- View low res movie clip - wmv (46k), Quicktime (93k)
- View high res movie clips on the movies page
Further reading
- Hutchins, B. & R. Swainston. 1986. Sea Fishes of Southern Australia. Complete Field Guide for Anglers and Divers. Swainston Publishing. Pp. 180.
- Kuiter, R.H. 1996. Guide to Sea Fishes of Australia. New Holland. Pp. 433.
- Myers, R.F. 1999. Micronesian Reef Fishes. Coral Graphics. Pp. 330.
- Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & R.C. Steene. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Crawford House Press. Pp. 557. (as the Stars and Stripes Puffer)
