Bennett's Puffer, Canthigaster bennetti (Bleeker, 1854)

Introduction

The Bennett's Puffer is a tropical marine waters fish found throughout the Indo-West Pacific. The colouration of this species is variable depending upon the surrounding habitat. It lives in a range of habitats from shallow seagrass beds to deeper rocky reefs.

Identification

Bennett's Puffer has a small mouth and a long, conical snout. It has a moderately compressed body with short-based dorsal and anal fins.

The colouration of this species is variable depending upon the surrounding habitat. In weedy areas the fish sometimes has a greenish tint. It often has blue lines radiating from the eye, a pale belly with blue and orange spots, a dark, blue-margined region under the base of the dorsal fin and a ill-defined dark stripe laterally.

Habitat

It can live in a range of habitats from shallow seagrass beds to deeper rocky reefs.

Distribution

The species is recorded from tropical marine waters throughout the Indo-West Pacific. In Australia it is know from off north-western Western Australia and from northern Queensland to the central coast of New South Wales.

The map below shows the Australian distribution of the species based on public sightings and specimens in Australian Museums. Click on the map for detailed information. Source: Atlas of Living Australia.

References

1. Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 292.
2. Hutchins, B. & R. Swainston. 1986. Sea Fishes of Southern Australia. Complete Field Guide for Anglers and Divers. Swainston Publishing. Pp. 180.
3. Kuiter, R.H. 1996. Guide to Sea Fishes of Australia. New Holland. Pp. 433.
4. Kuiter, R.H. 2000. Coastal Fishes of South-eastern Australia. Gary Allen. Pp. 437.
5. Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & R.C. Steene. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Crawford House Press. Pp. 557.