Arothron caeruleopunctatus Matsuura, 1994

Maximum Size

Arothron caeruleopunctatus is a medium-sized fish that grows up to 80 cm (31 in) in length.

Body Shape

Its body is oval-shaped, spherical and relatively elongated.

Skin Characteristics

The skin is not covered in scales.

Fin Structure

This fish has no pelvic fin and no lateral line.

The dorsal fin and anal fin are small, symmetric, and located at the end of the body.

Head and Mouth Structure

It has a short snout with two pairs of nostrils, and a terminal mouth that holds four strong teeth.

Baseline Body Coloration

Its body coloration and patterning are variable; the background color is blue-grey, except for the whitish ventral part.

Dorsal Blotch Pattern

An irregularly sized and outlined yellowish blotch covers the dorsal part of the body.

Spot and Eye Markings

The body is also covered in rice-shaped bluish to white spots, and the eyes are encircled with concentric lines.

Geographical Distribution

This species occurs in tropical and subtropical waters, ranging from oceanic islands of the Indian Ocean to the western Pacific Ocean.

Habitat and Depth Range

It inhabits the external slopes of rocky or coral reefs, from the surface down to 25 m (80 ft) depth.