Species: Colomesus psittacus, Banded Puffer, Parrot Puffer

Colomesus psittacus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)

Banded Puffer, Parrot Puffer

Body stout, inflatable; snout short, bluntly pointed; mouth with a heavy beak, composed of two teeth on upper and lower jaws; nasal organs consist of 2 holes before eyes; dorsal, anal and tail fins rounded; dorsal and anal fins with 10-12 rays; pectoral fins 17-19 rays; no pelvic fins; tough, thick scaleless skin, prickles on upper and lower head and body; no skin flaps on body.

Color: light green to yellowish brown above; 5-6 marked, uniform dark bars on upper half of body and across back, 1st across eyes, last on base of tail; lower body and tail base whitish.

Reaches 35 cm

In brackish and marine habitats, occasionally in freshwater.

Depth range 0-30 m

The SE Caribbean to Brazil.

Note: C. asellus, a freshwater species found in the same areas as C. psittacus, is similarly colored, but with the underside of the tail base black.