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Sphoeroides testudineus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Checkered puffer
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Native range | All suitable habitat | Point map | Year 2050
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Sphoeroides testudineus   AquaMaps   Data sources: GBIF OBIS
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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

Compère corotuche, Tamboril rayado, Botete sapo, ... more

Classification / Names Nomi Comuni | Sinonimi | Catalog of Fishes(Genere, Specie) | 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 Ecologia

marino; salmastro associati a barriera corallina; distribuzione batimetrica ? - 48 m (Ref. 9710).   Subtropical; 42°N - 35°S, 98°W - 34°W

Distribuzione Stati | Aree FAO | Ecosystems | Presenze | Point map | Introduzioni | Faunafri

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

Length at first maturity / Size / Peso / Age

Maturity: Lm 10.8  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 38.8 cm TL maschio/sesso non determinato; (Ref. 26340); common length : 20.0 cm TL maschio/sesso non determinato; (Ref. 3821); peso massimo pubblicato: 400.00 g (Ref. 5217)

Short description Chiavi di identificazione | Morfologia | Morfometria

Spine dorsali (totale) : 0; Raggi dorsali molli (totale) : 11 - 12; Spine anali: 0; Raggi anali molli: 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).

Biologia     Glossario (es. 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 | Riproduzione | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larve

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 | Bibliografia | Coordinatore : Matsuura, Keiichi | Collaboratori

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)

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