Blackspotted Puffer

Superpower

Gulps water to balloon into a spiky ball, packed with toxin no predator wants.

At a glance

Size

typically 25 cm, up to 33 cm

Lifespan

8–12 years

Depth

1–25 m

Habitat

Coral reefs and lagoons.

Diet

Coral, sponges, algae and crustaceans, crunched with fused teeth.

Can I eat it?

No — this one is not eaten.

Safety

• Dangerous3/10

  Harmless if left alone, but toxic to eat and can bite hard.

• Poisonous9/10

  Flesh and organs carry deadly tetrodotoxin — never eat it.

Fun facts

• •Pufferfish contain tetrodotoxin, one of the deadliest natural poisons.
• •It inflates with water to become too big to swallow.
• •Its four fused teeth form a parrot-like beak that never stops growing.