Checkered puffer

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Checkered puffer
Sphoeroides testudineus (checkered pufferfish) (San Salvador Island, Bahamas) (15548625654).jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Tetraodontiformes
Family: Tetraodontidae
Genus: Sphoeroides
Species:
S. testudineus
Binomial name
Sphoeroides testudineus

The checkered puffer (Sphoeroides testudineus) is a species in the family Tetraodontidae, or pufferfishes.

Contents

Description

The checkered puffer, Sphoeroides testudineus, is one of several fish species belonging to the family Tetradontidae, meaning "four teeth". Puffers have four tooth plates arranged in quadrants, with two teeth on the bottom and two on the top (Carpenter 2002). These teeth form a strong, heavy beak capable of cracking through hard prey such as mollusks and crustaceans, as well as sipunculids, tunicates, seagrass and detritus. [2] Puffers are named for their ability to swell by swallowing water or air when threatened. They have no spinous dorsal fin, absent or reduced scales, sandpapery denticles on various areas of the body, and a reduced gill opening. Identification of species is determined in part through color, pattern, and the presence and number of spines and fleshy tabs, or lappets, on the skin (Robins & Ray 1986). The checkered puffer is pale tan to yellowish with a polygonal or square network of lines centered on a bulls-eye pattern on the midback in front of the dorsal fin. Lines are dark gray to olive, with small, dark brown spots on cheeks and lower sides. The abdomen is whitish and unmarked. Dark bands are present on the caudal fin.

Potentially Misidentified Species

Several species of puffers inhabit the waters of the Indian River Lagoon (IRL). In addition to S. testudineus, three other Florida puffer species belong to the genus Sphoeroides are found in the IRL. These include: the northern puffer, S. maculatus ; the southern puffer, S. nephelus ; and the bandtail puffer, S. spengleri . The northern puffer is olive-gray with many black spots and 6–7 vertical gray areas on the side (Robins & Ray 1986). It has a black bar between the eyes and prickles on the skin of the tail. S. maculatus grows to a maximum length of 36 cm, slightly larger than the checkered puffer. The southern puffer is similar to S. maculatus, but lacks the black spots on the sides and dorsal surface. Instead, pale tan rings or semicircles cover this area, and larger dark spots are variable on the sides. Dark slashes are sometimes present on the lower half of the cheek, and prickles are found on the posterior ventral surface near or at the anus. The bandtail puffer is usually dark brown above, with pale sides and white underneath. A row of large brownish black spots extends from the chin to the caudal-fin base on the lower sides, separate from the dark dorsal color. Many tan, fleshy tabs are present near the rear of the body. At only 18 cm, the reported maximum size for S. spengleri is much less than that of the checkered puffer.

Habitat and distribution

The checkered puffer ranges from Rhode Island to Florida, Bermuda, and the southeast Gulf of Mexico to the southeastern coasts of Brazil (Robins & Ray 1986). It is common in bays, seagrass beds, tidal creeks, mangrove swamps, and into freshwater areas (Figueiredo & Menezes 2000).

The checkered puffer is distributed throughout the IRL. Most populations are found in association with seagrass beds and mangroves, although some individuals occur in rocky intertidal and hardbottom areas as well.

Life history and population biology

Age, Size, Lifespan: Information concerning the maximum age and average lifespan of S. testudineus is lacking. Growth rates vary with environmental conditions, food availability and other factors. The maximum reported size for the checkered puffer is 30 cm (Robins & Ray 1986), but most specimens are much smaller.

Abundance: Little information is available on the abundance of S. testudineus. However, it is a common species found in many estuarine habitats. Juveniles are frequently caught in seagrass beds and around mangrove roots. The checkered puffer is listed as one of eight dominant fish species in coastal waters of Yucatán, Mexico (Vega-Cendejas & de Santillana 2004). [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tetraodontidae</span> Family of pufferfish

Tetraodontidae is a family of primarily marine and estuarine fish of the order Tetraodontiformes. The family includes many familiar species variously called pufferfish, puffers, balloonfish, blowfish, blowers, blowies, bubblefish, globefish, swellfish, toadfish, toadies, toadle, honey toads, sugar toads, and sea squab. They are morphologically similar to the closely related porcupinefish, which have large external spines.

<i>Aulostomus maculatus</i> Species of fish

Aulostomus maculatus, the West Atlantic trumpetfish, is a long-bodied fish with an upturned mouth. It often swims vertically while trying to blend with vertical coral, such as sea rods, sea pens, and pipe sponges.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Narrow-lined puffer</span> Species of fish

The narrow-lined pufferfish is a demersal marine fish belonging to the family Tetraodontidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marbled parrotfish</span> Species of fish

The marbled parrotfish, also known as the seagrass parrotfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a parrotfish from the family Scaridae and is the only known member of the genus Leptoscarus. It has a wide Indo-Pacific distribution and is also found in the southeastern Atlantic Ocean. It is a coastal species found in beds of sea grass and seaweed.

<i>Sphoeroides</i> Genus of fishes

Sphoeroides is a genus of pufferfishes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Speckled smooth-hound</span> Species of shark

The speckled smooth-hound is a houndshark of the family Triakidae. It is found on the continental shelf of the eastern Pacific, between latitudes 0° and 54° S, at depths between 16 and 50 m. It can reach a length of 130 cm (51 in). Collectively with certain other species of shark, it is known as "tollo".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inshore lizardfish</span> Species of fish

The inshore lizardfish is a member of the family Synodontidae found in the western Atlantic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bandtail puffer</span> Species of fish

The bandtail puffer is a species in the family Tetraodontidae, or pufferfishes. It can grow to a length of about 30 cm and is common in the Caribbean and observed from Massachusetts, USA in the north to Santa Catarina, Brazil in the south.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Least puffer</span> Species of fish

Least puffer is a species in the family Tetraodontidae, or pufferfishes. This species is the common bay and inshore puffer for the waters around Texas and Louisiana. It has also been found as far east as Apalachicola Bay and south to Yucatán. Mature least puffers are small, usually less than four inches (100 mm).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern puffer</span> Species of fish

The northern puffer, Sphoeroides spheroides, is a species in the family Tetraodontidae, or pufferfishes, found along the Atlantic coast of North America. Unlike many other pufferfish species, the flesh of the northern puffer is not poisonous, although its viscera can contain poison, and high concentrations of toxins have been observed in the skin of Floridian populations. They are commonly called sugar toads in the Chesapeake Bay region, where they are eaten as a delicacy. There was widespread consumption of northern puffers during the rationing that accompanied the Second World War, establishing a commercial fishery that reached its zenith in the 1960s. In much of the Northeast, the fish is known simply as "blowfish" or "chicken of the sea". They may also be sold as "sea squab".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Platy (fish)</span> Defunct genus of freshwater fish

Platy is a common name of freshwater fish in the genus Xiphophorus that lack a "sword" at the bottom of their tails. Both species are livebearers, similar to other fish of the family Poeciliidae, such as the guppy and molly. Platies are native to the east coast of Central America and southern Mexico.

<i>Sphoeroides annulatus</i> Species of fish

Sphoeroides annulatus is a species in the family Tetraodontidae, or pufferfishes. It is found in the eastern Pacific Ocean from California, USA to Pisco, Peru and the Galápagos Islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warty prowfish</span> Species of fish

The warty prowfish, also known as the smooth prowfish or Tasmanian prowfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, an Australian prowfish belonging to the family Pataecidae, It is endemic to the coastal waters of southern Australia where it inhabits mostly rocky reefs. This species is the only member of the monotypic genus Aetapcus.

<i>Platycephalus laevigatus</i> Species of fish

Platycephalus laevigatus, the rock flathead, black flathead, grass flathead, king flathead, marbled-bellied flathead, Port Albert flathead, smooth flathead or Southern rock flathead, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Platycephalidae, the flatheads. This species is endemic to Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eyed flounder</span> Species of fish

The eyed flounder is a species of fish in the family Bothidae. The species is found on or near the sandy seabed in relatively shallow waters in the western Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico.

<i>Monacanthus ciliatus</i> Species of fish

Monacanthus ciliatus, commonly known as the fringed filefish, the cuckold or the leather-fish, is a species of bony fish commonly found in shallow water in the western Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico.

<i>Arothron reticularis</i> Species of fish

Arothron reticularis, variously known as the reticulated pufferfish, reticulated blowfish or reticulated toadfish, is a ray-finned fish in the family Tetraodontidae. It is native to the tropical and sub-tropical Indo-Pacific region where its habitats include sandy and muddy seabeds, coral reefs, estuaries and mangrove areas.

<i>Pelates quadrilineatus</i> Species of fish

Pelates quadrilineatus, also known as the trumpeter perch or fourlined terapon, is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Terapontidae, the grunters. It occurs in the western Indo-Pacific region, and also in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, having arrived there by passing through the Suez Canal.

<i>Lophogobius cyprinoides</i> Species of fish

Lophogobius cyprinoides, commonly known as the crested goby, is a small fish that is widespread throughout the western Atlantic Ocean.

<i>Sphoeroides camila</i> Species of pufferfish native to the Brazil

Sphoeroides camila is a species of pufferfish native to the Brazil. Previously thought to be the bandtail puffer (Sphoeroides spengleri), the species was discovered through DNA analysis. The fish lives in the western Atlantic from northern to southeastern Brazil, and some may be found in the southern Caribbean.

References

  1. Shao, K.; Matsuura, K.; Leis, J.L.; Hardy, G.; Larson, H.; Liu, M. (2014). "Sphoeroides testudineus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2014: e.T193813A2281154. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2014-3.RLTS.T193813A2281154.en . Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  2. "Sphoeroides testudineus (Checkered Puffer)" (PDF).
  3. Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2008). Species of Sphoeroides in FishBase . June 2008 version.