Puffer Fish
📖 Overview
Juveniles and adults are common in the mainstream river . Ventral pocket communicates gill chamber with oesophagus, allowing the fish to inflate its body like a ball . Liver and sexual organs are poisonous, but fishermen of the upper Cross carefully remove them and eat the flesh of this species . Some references to Tetraodon guttifer in the literature may represent misidentifications of T. pustulatus .
🔬 Taxonomy
🐟 Physical Description
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 11 - 12; Anal soft rays: 9 - 10; Vertebrae: 18 - 19. Diagnosis: caudal fin truncated or slightly emarginate, its length comprised about 4 times in SL; black-rimmed red ocelli (eyespots) on sides of adults . : short and / or deep; Cross section: circular.
🌀 Behaviour
Behavioural data for Puffer Fish is currently being reviewed.
🦐 Diet
🥚 Reproduction
🌍 Habitat & Distribution
Freshwater; brackish; demersal. Tropical; 8°N - 5°N endemic to the Cross River in Nigeria (Ref.
🌿 Ecology
📐 Morphometrics
🛡️ Conservation Assessment
📊 Population Risk & Fisheries
🌐 Names & Taxonomy
| Language | Common Names |
|---|---|
| 🇬🇧English | Cross River Puffer · Puffer Fish · Redline Puffer · Redline Pufferfish |
| 🇪🇸Spanish | Pez globo de línea roja |
Scientific Synonyms
| Scientific Name | Author | Year | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tetraodon guttifer | Bennett | 1831 | Synonym |
| Tetraodon leiogaster | Smith | 1865 | Synonym |
| Tetrodon pustulatus | Murray | 1857 | Synonym |
🔍 Similar Species
🗺️ Global Occurrence Map
Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 2 records indexed .
👥 Community & Contribute
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