Common Name: Blackspot Puffer
Distribution: Uncommon in the Solitary Islands Marine Park. Distributed throughout the Indo-Pacific, East Africa to Micronesia, north to southern Japan, south to Australia. In Australia recorded from north western Western Australia and Queensland south to northern New South Wales, and including Lord Howe Island.
Ecological Notes: Frequents inner and outer reef crests and slopes with rich invertebrate growth. Depth from 3 to at least 25 m.
Additional Notes: Colour variable, grey through blue and yellow, but always with scattered black spots of varying sizes and usually with pale mask in front of eyes. Feeds on corals, often Acropora tips, crustaceans, molluscs, sponges and tunicates. Grows to 33 cm.
References: R. Stuart-Smith, G. Edgar, A. Green, I. Shaw, Tropical Marine Fishes of Australia. Reed New Holland Publishers, 2015. p.459.
FishBase. Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2018. World Wide Web electronic publication. http://www.fishbase.se/summary/Arothron-nigropunctatus.html. Accessed 25/04/18.