Description:

The genus Canthigaster can be distinguished from other tetraodontids based on the following characters: compressed body, pointed snout and rather minute nostrils and keeled dorsal surface posterior to the eyes.

This brown to orange-brown puffer (shading to orange and cream ventrally) is beautifully patterned with electric green lines radiating from the eyes over the posterior snout, in the interorbital space and the back of the head. The rest of the body, including the caudal fin, is covered with evenly spaced electric green to pale (becoming paler ventrally), dark edged spots. There are two black ocelli at the base of the dorsal fin, one on each flank. Dorsal, pectoral and anal fins hyaline.

Canthigaster spp. are known for their general lack of characters, and are generally differentiated on the basis of colour differences.

Maturity unknown.  Range unknown. Max length : 31.2 cm TL.

Specimen pictured here much smaller (approx. 7cm)

Inhabits shallow reef areas and tide pools near reefs (depth 0-10m). This species is a facultative corallivore, ingesting skeletal material and including soft coral in its diet.

This species is not protected or subject to fishery regulations. It is not caught in the artisanal fishery.

Froese, R. & D. Pauly. Eds. 2020. FishBase. Canthigaster margaritata. https://www.fishbase.de/summary/Canthigaster-margaritata.html (04/04/20).

Mishra, S.S. et al (2019). New distributional record of a tetraodontid fish, Canthigaster petersii (Bianconi, 1854), from Tamil Nadu coast, India with a note on Canthigaster species recorded from Indian waters. Rec. zool. Surv. India: Vol. 119(3)/ 299-302, 2019

Shao, K. et al 2014. Canthigaster margaritata. The IUCN Red List 2014: e.T193655A2254827. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2014-3.RLTS.T193655A2254827.en. (04/04/20).