Starry Puffer (Arothron stellatus)

The Starry Puffer or Arothron stellatus is one of the biggest Puffer Fish in the world, growing to almost 4' in length! Like other Puffer Fish they don't have any pelvic fins, but instead use their pectoral fins to swim around. This makes them quite entertaining to watch. They also have a beak like mouth that needs to be worn down if kept in an aquarium. This can be accomplished by feeding them hard shell shrimp along with their normal diet of squid, krill and clams. Sometimes referred to as the Stellate Puffer, these fish are white with orange tints and dark spots all over their bodies. They can be kept in an large saltwater aquarium of at least 300 gallons with the following water conditions, 72-78° F, dKH 8-12, pH 8.1-8.4 and sg 1.020-1.025. A protein skimmer is also recommended in a tank this size. You can check out the Starry Puffer in its natural habitat in the video below...

Like all Puffer Fish, these creatures have the ability to inflate their body to twice its normal size. This helps scare away or discourage would be predators from making a meal out of them. As if this weren't enough, parts of this fish are considered poisonous, and should never be ingested by humans.

If you have any additional information about the Starry Puffer that you would like to share please do.

No comments:

Post a Comment