Green Spotted Pufferfish (Dichotomyctere nigrovidis)

 Green Spotted Pufferfish (Dichotomyctere nigroviridis)

A Green Spotted Pufferfish at Admiralty Park during high tide. (Photograph by: Lumin Ong)

Family: Tetraodontidae
Species Name: Dichotomyctere nigroviridis
Common Name(s): Green Spotted Pufferfish

Presence in Singapore: Native
Habitat: Estuarine such as in mangrove swamps. Enters freshwater rivers and streams etc.
Conservation status: Least Concern (Red Data Book 3)

The Green Spotted Pufferfish is probably the most commonly seen pufferfish in Singapore as it is abundant in our mangrove habitats, which it enters during a rising tide. It is also a popular aquarium fish, where they're sold as freshwater fishes when they thrive much better in more saline waters. This pufferfish can grow up to 17cm but are usually seen at half that size. It is unique looking among its kind in Singapore, making it easy to identify thanks to its colouration and patternings.

Like all pufferfishes, the Green Spotted Pufferfish is mostly a hunter of hard-shelled invertebrates, which it uses its beak-like teeth to crush. It is not picky however and will even go for other fishes. When threatened by potential predators, they will puff up by inhaling water, revealing small spines all over the body in the process. Green Spotted Pufferfishes also contain the deadly tetrodotoxin which can kill if the fish is consumed.

A juvenile Green Spotted Pufferfish at the surface in Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve.

References

• FishBase. Dichotomyctere nigroviridis (Marion de Procé, 1822) – Spotted Green Pufferfish. Retrieved from https://fishbase.se/summary/7763.
• Lim, K.K.P. & Low, J.K.Y. 1998. A Guide to Common Marine Fishes of Singapore. Singapore Science Centre, 163 pp. ISBN 981-00-9904-5.
• National Parks Board (NParks). Marine Fishes. Retrieved from https://www.nparks.gov.sg/nature/species-list/marine-fishes.