Black-Spotted Puffer

Also called: Dog-faced Puffer

Scientific name: Arothron nigropunctatus

The "dog-faced" alternate name for this puffer is quite appropriate. They can be as cute as puppies. I photographed the above sample on a shallow reef in the Maldives, and he wasn't as shy as many other fish, but that's generally true of all puffers. I guess being poisonous gives you a certain superiority.

Please note: Identification of fish, corals, etc. is a tricky business. It's entirely possible that I've incorrectly identified a photo I've taken. If you spot an error, please contact me so I can correct it and improve this resource.