Species: Arothron diadematus, Masked Puffer

Arothron diadematus (Ruppell, 1829)

Masked Puffer

Body heavy, round; head large, blunt; snout short; nasal organ is a double tentacle, with minute pits on opposing surfaces of each tentacle; eyes high on sides of head; jaws are a heavy beak composed of 4 fused heavy powerful teeth with a central suture on each jaw; a slit-like gill opening in front of the pectoral fin base; a single short- based dorsal fin at rear of body; a similar-shaped anal fin below the dorsal; dorsal rays 10; anal rays 10-11; pectoral rays 18-19; no pelvic fins; no spines in the fins; tail base as long as deep; tail fin rounded, with 10 main rays; tough scaleless skin, covered with small spinules, no fleshy skin flaps.

Head and body pale brown to whitish with indistinct darker mottling; a large black blotch encloses mouth, separated by a whitish area from a black mask across eyes, with a thin extension back to a large blackish blotch centered on the pectoral fin area; dorsal, anal and pectoral fins with black base and rays; tail fin with whitish rays, black membranes.

Reaches 30 cm.

Inhabits fringing reefs; estuaries.

Depth: 5-30 m.

Indian Ocean and Red Sea; introduced to SE Florida