Papuan Toby

Canthigaster papua is a demersal Marine fish belonging to the family Tetraodontidae. It is widely distributed throughout the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean and of the western Pacific Ocean. It occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade.

Description

The Papuan toby is a small sized fish which grows up to 10 cm. It is brownish to orange with numerous small bluish-green spots on the body and tail, black-edged bluish-green lines radiating from the eye and on the head, and a black spot below the dorsal fin. Spots extend well on to tail and often join to form lines over back. Lacks noticably larger light spots on underside as on C. janthinoptera, and light underside as on C. bennetti.

Distribution

Indo-West Pacific: Maldives to eastern New Guinea, north to the Philippines and Palau, south to the Great Barrier Reef and New Caledonia.

Habitat

It inhabits coral reefs with clear water in lagoons and external slop even drop-off from 6 to 50 m. Canthigaster papua has a diurnal activity. It occurs in clear, coral-rich areas of lagoon and seaward reefs. Sometimes solitary. Adults are often in pairs along deep drop-offs while juveniles can be found in shallow estuaries.