Types of Blowfish

Tetraodontidae, commonly known as blowfish, has over 121 species in over 20 genera. While there are a vast array of blowfish living in the ocean, most species of the puffers live in the tropics and are small to medium in size. There are four easily recognizable blowfish species, most often found in the Indo-Pacific and Caribbean regions.

  1. Diodon hystrix

    • Commonly known as the spot-fin porcupine fish, the Diodon hystrix is tan in color with small dark gray spots on its upper body. It lives in a variety of warm climate areas including San Diego, the Galapagos Islands, Bermuda and Madagascar. Their habitat include lagoons and seaward reefs. This blowfish averages at 91cm with a weight of 2.8 kg. They are mostly nocturnal and consume sea urchins, gastropods and hermit crabs. To protect themselves, they inhale water and air to increase their body size by almost 300 percent. The spot-fin porcupine fish can live up to10 years.

    Arothron reticularis

    • Commonly known as a reticulated or fat puffer, the Arothron reticularis have large eyes, dog-like snouts and are dark on top with spots and have a light tan belly. They are the most commonly kept puffer fish by marine aquarists. This puffer has a lethal poison called tetrodotoxin in their eyes and most internal organs which can cause death within four to six hours. The fat puffer can grow to 48 inches and is largely nocturnal.

    Arothron hispidus

    • The Arothron hispidus, commonly known as the stars-and-stripes puffer or the white-spotted puffer is a light gray fish with small white spots. This medium-sized puffer lives in the southeastern Atlantic Ocean, the Indo-Pacific Ocean and the eastern Pacific Ocean. This puffer usually only lives in a depth of three to 30 meters as they live in lagoons and seaward reefs, often spending time in sea grass areas. Their diet consists of coral algae, sponges, corals, crabs, worms, starfish, urchins and krill, helping them achieve a size of 50 cm. Unlike other blowfish species, the white-spotted puffer is semi-aggressive, solitary and extremely territorial.

    Chilomycterus schoepfi

    • Known commonly as the burrfish, or the spiny boxfish, the Chilomycterus schoepfi is one of the smallest blowfish species. Their bodies are spherical, with short, somewhat dull pointed spines that are immovable. Growing to only 24 cm, the burrfish has brownish coloring with dusky lines across its body, helping the blowfish camouflage itself with the sandy bottom. This pufferfish can take in air or water into its ventral extension of the stomach, increasing its size by 200 percent. The spiny boxfish is mostly found in the West Indies and Florida, spawning in New Jersey during the late summer months. The burrfish lives off invertebrates including oysters, barnacles, mussels and hermit crabs.