You can sponsor this page

Sphoeroides testudineus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Checkered puffer
Add your observation in Fish Watcher
Native range | All suitable habitat | Point map | Year 2050
This map was computer-generated and has not yet been reviewed.
Sphoeroides testudineus   AquaMaps   Data sources: GBIF OBIS
Upload your photos and videos
Pictures | Google image


Martinique country information

Common names: [No common name]
Occurrence: native
Salinity: marine
Abundance: | Ref:
Importance: | Ref:
Aquaculture: | Ref:
Regulations: | Ref:
Uses: no uses
Comments:
National Checklist:
Country Information: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/geos/mb.html
National Fisheries Authority:
Occurrences: Occurrences Point map
Main Ref: Smith, C.L., 1997
National Database:

Common names from other countries

Classification / Names Κοινά ονόματα | Συνώνυμα | Catalog of Fishes(Γένος, Είδη) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

> Tetraodontiformes (Puffers and filefishes) > Tetraodontidae (Puffers) > Tetraodontinae
Etymology: Sphoeroides: Greek, sphaira = ball + Greek, suffix, oides = similar to (Ref. 45335).
  More on author: Linnaeus.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Οικολογία

Θαλασσινό(ά); Υφάλμυρο Υφαλόφιλο(α); εύρος βάθους ? - 48 m (Ref. 9710).   Subtropical; 42°N - 35°S, 98°W - 34°W

Κατανομή Χώρες | Περιοχές FAO | Οικοσυστήματα | Παρουσίες | Point map | Εισαγωγές | Faunafri

Western Atlantic to Southwest Atlantic: Rhode Island, USA to southeastern Brazil.

Length at first maturity / Μέγεθος / Βάρος / Age

Maturity: Lm 10.8  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 38.8 cm TL αρσενικό/απροσδιόριστο; (Ref. 26340); common length : 20.0 cm TL αρσενικό/απροσδιόριστο; (Ref. 3821); μεγ. δημοσιευμένο βάρος: 400.00 g (Ref. 5217)

Short description Κλείδες προσδιορισμού | Μορφολογία | Μορφομετρία

Ραχιαίες άκανθες (συνολικά) : 0; Μαλακές ραχιαίες ακτίνες (συνολικά) : 11 - 12; Εδρικές άκανθες: 0; Μαλακές εδρικές ακτίνες: 11. Greenish above, pale yellow to white below; back has series of pale lines and arcs suggesting concentric circles with intersecting lines. No other puffer has this color pattern (Ref. 26938).

Βιολογία     Γλωσσάρι (π.χ. epibenthic)

Commonly found in bays, tidal creeks and protected coastal waters, especially on seagrass beds, and in brackish water. Rare or absent on coral reefs. Does not form schools, but may form huge aggregates. Hides in the sand when frightened (Ref. 9710). Feeds mainly on bivalves, gastropods, foraminiferans and several other benthic invertebrates specially crustaceans, which it crushes with its powerful teeth (Ref. 35237). To ward off predators, it inflates itself like a balloon. Highly toxic; used to poison cats and dogs (Ref. 2861).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturities | Αναπαραγωγή | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Προνύμφες

Spawning season is from late spring to early fall at Biscayne Bay, Florida. Mean length at first maturity is over 13 cm TL.

Main reference Upload your references | Αναφορές | Συντονιστής : Matsuura, Keiichi | Συνεργάτες

Robins, C.R. and G.C. Ray, 1986. A field guide to Atlantic coast fishes of North America. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, U.S.A. 354 p. (Ref. 7251)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)

  Least Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 07 June 2011

CITES (Ref. 128078)

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Poisonous to eat (Ref. 3821)




Human uses

Can't connect to MySQL database (fbapp). Errorcode: Too many connections