guinean puffer
| Scientific name | Sphoeroides marmoratus |
|---|---|
| Descriptor | Lowe |
| Year of description | 1838 |
| IUCN category | LC |
| Family | Tetraodontidae |
| Genus | Sphoeroides |
Introduction
Sphoeroides marmoratus, commonly known as guinean puffer, is a salt water fish from the Eastern tropical Atlantic Ocean.
Who is it?
Morphology
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Average size17 cm
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Maximum size20 cm
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Patterntasks
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Average size17 cm
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Maximum size20 cm
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Patterntasks
How to recognize the guinean puffer ?
The guinean puffer measures between 17 and 20 cm. This fish is unicolore with a predominantly beige body. The also has marron tasks.
Behaviour & Life cycle
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dietcarnivorous
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Sociabilitysolitary
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territorialNo
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Way of livingdiurnal
This species is known to emit sounds easily audible by humans.
Tetrodotoxin or TTX is a neurotoxin produced by bacteria. In this species, it is present in large quantities in the liver, viscera and gonads but is also found in the skin.
Females are more toxic than males, this is due to the high concentration of TTX in the ovaries.
When poisoned, TTX is fatal in more than 50% of cases. This neurotoxin acts on the pores of the sodium channels, which stops the passage of nerve impulses, resulting in partial or total paralysis. Death is most often due to respiratory paralysis triggering cardiac arrest by collapse.
The guinean puffer is a fish solitary naturally found at mid-depth and near the bottom. This species is carnivorous .
Although the guinean puffer is non-territorial, it is sometimes aggressive towards other species.
Reproduction
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Reproductiondont le mode de reproduction est encore inconnu
The guinean puffer is a fish dont le mode de reproduction est encore inconnu.
Harmless species
This species does not represent any particular threats to humans when encountered in its natural environment.
Where to find it?
What is its habitat?
Natural environment characteristics
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Temperature20 - 28 °C
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Depth1 - 100 m
Biotope presentation
The guinean puffer is most often found at a depth between 1m and 100m. However, it is not impossible to find this species at other depths.
To go further
Species of the same family
To read on the web
Sources & Contributions
Participation & Validation
The Fishipedia team and specialist contributors are committed to providing high-quality content. However, although the information comes from scientific sources or testimonials from specialists, the cards may contain inaccuracies.
Adrien Falzon
Translation
Translation done with the valuable contribution of our translators, who make this information available to a wider audience. We sincerely thank them for their commitment.
Species of the same family
Species of the same biotope
Scientific partners