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Who?
Family: Tetraodontidae
Species: Canthigaster rostrata
Species ID: T.CR
Description: A small, roughly football-shaped fish with a large pointed snout (1), small fins at the rear of the body (2), and a prominent tail (3). The sides of the body vary from pale yellow to white with bright blue spots (4), while the edges of the tail fin have thick, dark borders (5) that distinguish this species from similar puffers. The back is typically brown in females and grey in mature males
Maximum Size: 12 cm (4.5 in)
Longevity: Unknown; but may up to 10 years based on the longevity of related species
Status: Not currently on the IUCN endangered species list
Caribbean Sharpnose Puffers & People: This puffer is not caught as a food fish, but because of its small size and bright colours it is widely collected for the aquarium trade
Where?
Geographical Range: Found throughout the shallow waters of the Caribbean
Coral Reef Zone: Found in the back reef, reef flat, and fore reef zones
Favourite Habitat: Found in most areas of the reef, especially in areas where gorgonians are common. May also inhabit seagrass beds
Depth Range: 1–40 m (3–130 ft)
A Day in the Life:
Dawn: Spawning occurs following sunrise
Day: Puffers forage and defend territories
Dusk: Puffers seek shelter for the night
Night: Sharpnose puffers rest within the reef
Who Eats Who
Sharpnose puffers are omnivores that consume small reef invertebrates, such as crabs, shrimps, polychaete worms, and snails; they may also graze on sponges, algae, and seagrass. These fish, like other puffers, possess tetrodotoxin which makes them poisonous to eat. As such, most reef predators avoid them. However, they are still occasionally consumed by groupers, snappers, barracuda and eels.
Scuba Diver & Snorkeler Best Practices
Refrain from feeding marine life : Coral reef organisms should never be fed. Although this may seem like a harmless practice that allows you to get close to your favourite organisms, it actually disturbs normal feeding patterns and diets. Scientists have documented turtles being fed bread, dog food and even cheese—none of these foods are found naturally in the marine environment, and they can cause untold stress to the organisms that consume them. Conditioning wild animals to become comfortable with hand-feeding by humans alters their behaviour and makes them more vulnerable to capture, which directly affects their survival—this is particularly a concern for endangered sea turtles.
