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Saddled Puffer
Canthigaster valentini (Bleeker, 1853)
A Saddled Puffer at "Pixie's Pinnacle", Ribbon Reefs, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, December 1999. View larger image.
A juvenile Saddled Puffer.
The Saddled Puffer can be recognised by the dark saddles on the side of the body and stripes across the snout.
This species is common on shallow, sheltered reefs throughout the tropical marine Indo-Pacific. In Australia it is found at the offshore islands of north-western Western Australia and from northern Queensland to southern New South Wales. View a map of the collecting localities of specimens in the Australian Museum Fish Collection.
The Saddled Puffer grows to about 10cm in length.
There are about 25 species of sharpnose puffers in the genus Canthigaster.
The Saddled Puffer looks similar to the Crowned Puffer and the Mimic Leatherjacket.
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. 1993. Coastal Fishes of South-Eastern Australia. Crawford House Press. Pp. 437.
- Kuiter, R.H. 1996. Guide to Sea Fishes of Australia. New Holland. Pp. 433.
