False Puffer
Paraluteres prionurus
- Group: Pufferfish
- Typical depth: 1–25 m
- Max size: 11 cm
- For divers: safe
- IUCN status: LC
This small filefish survives by impersonation, copying the colours and shape of the poisonous Valentini puffer so closely that predators leave it alone. It haunts clear lagoon and seaward reefs in pairs, picking at eggs, snails and the substrate, and grows to barely eleven centimetres.
Taxonomy: Animalia › Chordata › Teleostei › Tetraodontiformes › Monacanthidae › Paraluteres
Species data via the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS), AphiaID 220065.
FAQ
- How deep does the False Puffer live?
- The False Puffer (Paraluteres prionurus) is typically found at 1–25 m.
- Is the False Puffer dangerous to divers?
- The False Puffer is harmless to divers.
- How big does the False Puffer get?
- The False Puffer grows to about 11 cm.