AROTHRON HISPIDUS - (LINNAEUS, 1758)
Picture courtesy of: Alain Daoulas
Tétrodon à taches blanches, Poisson-ballon à taches blanches, Poisson-ballon à épaule noire, Broad barred puffer, Broad-barred toadfish, Ringed puffer, Stars and Stripes Toado, Whitespotted puffer, White-spotted pufferfish, Stars-and-stripes puffer, Stars-and-stripes pufferfish, Stripebelly puffer, Bristly puffer, Pesce palla a punti bianchi, Pez glodo con manchas blancas, Botete panza rayada, Weißfleck-Kugelfisch, Witgevlekte kogelvis, Witspikkel-blaasop, Sazanamifugu, サザナミフグ, 흰점꺼끌복, വേര് കുണ്ണൊന്, ഊത്തുനോന്, 紋腹魨, 紋腹叉鼻魨,
Description
Rayons mous dorsaux (Total) : 10-11; Rayons mous anaux : 9-11; Rayons nageoires pectorales : 17-19. Petites épines sur la tête et le corps, sauf sur le museau, le pédoncule caudal postérieur et la base des nageoires; Longueur du museau : 4,6-6,1 en longueur standard (SL); Organe nasal avec deux volets charnus bifurquant à partir d'une base commune; Crête osseuse au-dessus de l'œil, espace interorbitaire concave; Largeur interorbitaire osseuse : 4. 8-7.0 in SL; Origine de la nageoire anale sous ou postérieurement à la base arrière de la nageoire dorsale; Nageoire caudale arrondie, bord postérieur irrégulier, 2.6-3.8 en SL. Taille maximum : 50.0 cm TL. Poids maximum publié : 2.0 kg. Profondeur : 3 - 50 m.
Couleur
Couleur extrêmement variable, le plus souvent olivâtre avec de petites taches blanches. Sa coloration est grise, plus foncée sur le dos, avec des gros points blancs, devenant plus petits et plus nombreux sur les individus âgés. Les ponctuations blanches sont nettement plus petites et nombreuses chez les sujets originaires de mer Rouge par rapport à ceux originaires du reste de l'Indo-Pacifique. La face ventrale gris clair ne montre pas de points blancs et est margée de lignes blanches discontinues. Les yeux sont souvent entourés de lignes circulaires blanches. La base des nageoires pectorales est noire avec également des cercles blancs ou jaunes.
Étymologie
Arothron : du préfixe Grec, a- = privatif + du Grec, rhothon = nez, narine. En référence aux deux tentacules nasaux en forme de doigts à la place de pores nasaux.
hispidus : du Latin, hispidus ou hirsutus = hérissé. En référence aux petites spinules couvrant la tête et le corps (sauf autour du museau et à l'arrière du pédoncule caudal).
Description originale : Tetraodon hispidus Linnaeus, 1758 - Localité type : Inde.
Distribution
Mer Rouge; Indo-Pacifique : Afrique de l'Est, Afrique du Sud, Socotra, Seychelles, Madagascar et ouest des Mascareignes, à l'Est, îles Hawaï (États-Unis), nord de la Corée du Sud, centre du Japon et îles Ogasawara, au Sud, île Rottnest (Australie de l'Ouest), Nouvelle-Calédonie, île Lord Howe et Rapa; Pacifique Est : côte Pacifique Nord de la Basse Californie (Mexique), au Sud, Équateur, y compris le golfe de Californie (Mexique), île Cocos (Costa Rica) et îles Galapagos (Équateur).
Biologie
Les individus sont solitaires et territoriaux. Il est présent sur les fonds mixtes (corail, sable, détritus, herbiers) dans les estuaires, les lagons, les récifs côtiers et sur les pentes externes. Les juvéniles affectionnent les lagunes peu profondes et occupées par les herbiers sous-marins. Arothron hispidus a une nourriture très variée : algues charnues ou calcaires, mollusques, échinodermes (holothuries, ophiures, astéries y compris Acanthaster planci (Linnaeus, 1758)), éponges, tuniciers, corail, anémones, crabes, vers tubicoles et également détritus. Il chasse de nuit comme de jour. Les Arothrons construisent un nid dans le sable où la femelle vient pondre. Les Arothrons, comme la plupart des Tetraodontidae, contiennent une toxine (tétrodotoxine) dans leur peau, leurs viscères et leurs gonades. Les muscles n'en contiennent pas. Elle provient de bactéries ingérées dans leur alimentation et s'accumulerait dans leurs tissus.
Espèces ressemblantes
Synonymes
Crayracion hispidus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Dilobomycter hispidus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Dilobomycterus hispidus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Orbis punctulatus (Billberg, 1833)
Takifugu hispidus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Tetraodon hispidus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Tetraodon perspicillaris (Rüppell, 1829)
Tetraodon sazanami (Tanaka, 1916)
Tetraodon semistriatus (Rüppell, 1837)
Tetrodon bondarus (Cantor, 1849)
Tetrodon hispidus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Tetrodon implutus (Jenyns, 1842)
Tetrodon laterna (Richardson, 1845)
Tetrodon pusillus (Klunzinger, 1871)
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Description
Dorsal soft rays (total): 10-11; Anal soft rays: 9-11; Pectoral fin rays: 17-19. Small spinules on head and body except snout and posterior caudal peduncle and base of fins; Snout length: 4.6-6.1 in standard length (SL); Nasal organ with two fleshy flaps bifurcating from common base; Bony ridge above eye, interorbital space concave; Bony interorbital width: 4.8-7.0 in SL; Anal fin origin below or posterior to rear base of dorsal fin; Caudal fin rounded, posterior margin irregular, 2.6-3.8 in SL; Max. length: 50.0 cm TL. Max. published weight: 2.0 kg. Depth range: 3 - 50 m.
Color
Color extremely variable, most often olivaceous with small white spots, white ventrally, with dark body color extending ventrally into the white ventral part of head and abdomen appearing as bars (three on head, three on abdomen); Base of pectoral fin within vertically oval black spot containing a few white or yellow curved lines and/or small spots, often with one or more white lines encircling fin base; Subadults with white spots often forming circle around eye and adults may have several complete white rings. Base of dorsal fin usually with few white spots; Anal fin generally none. Caudal fin varying from having only a few white spots on base to being almost completely white-spotted; Some specimens with caudal fins having mixed spots and lines; Still others with linear or reticular pattern.
Subadults and juveniles sparsely spotted with white. With growth, white spots become more numerous. Some individuals with white lines, while others remaining white-spotted, except for rings around eyes and gill openings; Others developing reticular pattern or a mainly linear pattern.
Etymology
Arothron: from Greek prefix, a- = without + from Greek, rhothon = noze, nostril. Referring to two finger-like nasal tentacles instead of nasal pores.
hispidus: from Latin, hispidus or hirsutus = rough, shaggy, hairy, bristly, prickly. Referring to small spinules covering head and body (except around snout and rear of caudal peduncle).
Original description: Tetraodon hispidus Linnaeus, 1758 - Type locality: India.
Distribution
Red Sea; Indo-Pacific: East Africa, South Africa, Socotra, Seychelles, Madagascar and western Mascarenes east to Hawaiian Islands (U.S.A.), north to southern Korea, central Japan and Ogasawara Islands, south to Rottnest Island (Western Australia), New Caledonia, Lord Howe Island and Rapa; Eastern Pacific: Pacific coast of northern Baja California (Mexico) south to Ecuador, including Gulf of California (Mexico), Cocos Island (Costa Rica) and Galapagos Islands (Ecuador).
Biology
Inhabit outer reef slopes, inner reef flats and lagoons. Juveniles common in weedy areas of estuaries. Also found in coastal bays and estuaries, usually near rocky reef or on sand-stretches between reefs with low algae-rubble reef, or in shallow with sparse seagrass growth. Benthopelagic. Usually solitary and territorial on sandy to rubble areas. Feeds on fleshy, calcareous, or coralline algae, detritus, and a range of benthic invertebrates including molluscs, tunicates, sponges, corals, zoanthid anemones, crabs, tube worms and echinoderms (preys on the Crown-of-thorns Starfish - Acanthaster planci (Linnaeus, 1758)). Poisonous to eat.
- Arothron multilineatus (Matsuura, 2016) - Présent en Mer Rouge et dans l'Ouest du Pacifique: Philippines, îles Ryukyu (Japon). Bienque l'espèce soit valide, au vu de sa rareté, il est possible que ce soit un hybride entre Arothron stellatus (Anonymous, 1798) et Arothron hispidus (Linnaeus, 1758), tout deux présents en Nouvelle-Calédonie.
- Arothron reticularis (Bloch & Schneider, 1801) - Présent en Nouvelle-Calédonie - Lien vers l'espèce (ici).
Synonymes
Crayracion hispidus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Dilobomycter hispidus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Dilobomycterus hispidus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Orbis punctulatus (Billberg, 1833)
Takifugu hispidus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Tetraodon hispidus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Tetraodon perspicillaris (Rüppell, 1829)
Tetraodon sazanami (Tanaka, 1916)
Tetraodon semistriatus (Rüppell, 1837)
Tetrodon bondarus (Cantor, 1849)
Tetrodon hispidus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Tetrodon implutus (Jenyns, 1842)
Tetrodon laterna (Richardson, 1845)
Tetrodon pusillus (Klunzinger, 1871)
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Description
Dorsal soft rays (total): 10-11; Anal soft rays: 9-11; Pectoral fin rays: 17-19. Small spinules on head and body except snout and posterior caudal peduncle and base of fins; Snout length: 4.6-6.1 in standard length (SL); Nasal organ with two fleshy flaps bifurcating from common base; Bony ridge above eye, interorbital space concave; Bony interorbital width: 4.8-7.0 in SL; Anal fin origin below or posterior to rear base of dorsal fin; Caudal fin rounded, posterior margin irregular, 2.6-3.8 in SL; Max. length: 50.0 cm TL. Max. published weight: 2.0 kg. Depth range: 3 - 50 m.
Color
Color extremely variable, most often olivaceous with small white spots, white ventrally, with dark body color extending ventrally into the white ventral part of head and abdomen appearing as bars (three on head, three on abdomen); Base of pectoral fin within vertically oval black spot containing a few white or yellow curved lines and/or small spots, often with one or more white lines encircling fin base; Subadults with white spots often forming circle around eye and adults may have several complete white rings. Base of dorsal fin usually with few white spots; Anal fin generally none. Caudal fin varying from having only a few white spots on base to being almost completely white-spotted; Some specimens with caudal fins having mixed spots and lines; Still others with linear or reticular pattern.
Subadults and juveniles sparsely spotted with white. With growth, white spots become more numerous. Some individuals with white lines, while others remaining white-spotted, except for rings around eyes and gill openings; Others developing reticular pattern or a mainly linear pattern.
Etymology
Arothron: from Greek prefix, a- = without + from Greek, rhothon = noze, nostril. Referring to two finger-like nasal tentacles instead of nasal pores.
hispidus: from Latin, hispidus or hirsutus = rough, shaggy, hairy, bristly, prickly. Referring to small spinules covering head and body (except around snout and rear of caudal peduncle).
Original description: Tetraodon hispidus Linnaeus, 1758 - Type locality: India.
Distribution
Red Sea; Indo-Pacific: East Africa, South Africa, Socotra, Seychelles, Madagascar and western Mascarenes east to Hawaiian Islands (U.S.A.), north to southern Korea, central Japan and Ogasawara Islands, south to Rottnest Island (Western Australia), New Caledonia, Lord Howe Island and Rapa; Eastern Pacific: Pacific coast of northern Baja California (Mexico) south to Ecuador, including Gulf of California (Mexico), Cocos Island (Costa Rica) and Galapagos Islands (Ecuador).
Biology
Inhabit outer reef slopes, inner reef flats and lagoons. Juveniles common in weedy areas of estuaries. Also found in coastal bays and estuaries, usually near rocky reef or on sand-stretches between reefs with low algae-rubble reef, or in shallow with sparse seagrass growth. Benthopelagic. Usually solitary and territorial on sandy to rubble areas. Feeds on fleshy, calcareous, or coralline algae, detritus, and a range of benthic invertebrates including molluscs, tunicates, sponges, corals, zoanthid anemones, crabs, tube worms and echinoderms (preys on the Crown-of-thorns Starfish - Acanthaster planci (Linnaeus, 1758)). Poisonous to eat.
- Arothron multilineatus (Matsuura, 2016) - Reported from Red Sea, western Pacific: Philippines, Ryukyu Islands (Japan). Although the species is valid, given its rarity, it is possible that it is a hybrid between Arothron stellatus (Anonymous, 1798) and Arothron hispidus (Linnaeus, 1758), both present in New Caledonia.
- Arothron reticularis (Bloch & Schneider, 1801) - Reported from New Caledonia - Link to the species (here).
Last update: 14, August 2022