Arothron manilensis (Marion de Procé, 1822)

Taxon Identification

Arothron manilensis (Marion de Procé, 1822) is a small fish that reaches a maximum length of 31 centimeters.

Body Shape

It has an oval, spherical, and relatively elongated body. Its skin is not covered in scales, and the species has no pelvic fin or lateral line.

Fin Structure

The dorsal and anal fins are small, symmetric, and positioned at the rear end of the body.

Head Morphology

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

Body Coloration

The fish's base body color ranges from whitish to grey, marked with brown horizontal lines.

Fin Coloration

All fins are yellowish and semi-translucent, except for the opaque caudal fin, which has a black outline. A more or less circular black blotch is present at the base of the pectoral fin, and the iris is also yellowish.

Distribution Range

This species occurs in tropical waters of the central Indo-Pacific.

Habitat Type

It inhabits estuaries, sheltered upper reef areas, and lagoons, from the water surface down to 20 meters depth.

Microhabitat

It is commonly found in seagrass beds and sandy areas, and juvenile individuals grow among mangroves.