🐠 Reticulated Pufferfish (Arothron reticularis)
Marine Not-Reef-Safe Large Pufferfish • Mossy-Brown Body With a Decorative Net-Like Pattern • Genuinely Grows Large — Please Read Before Buying • Advanced Marine Fish
 
⚠️ Important Information — Please Read First
We want to be genuinely upfront on this one. This species genuinely grows quite large, reaching up to 45cm (around 17"), and expert sources genuinely recommend a minimum aquarium size of 150 gallons or larger. Its body is genuinely covered in a toxic mucus containing tetrodotoxin, a powerful poison that can be fatal if the skin or flesh is consumed by humans, so please never use a net for transfers, as this species genuinely releases toxin into the water when stressed — always use a rigid container instead.
 
📋 The Reticulated Pufferfish, also known as the Reticulated Blowfish or Reticulated Toadfish, has a genuinely decorative dark, mossy-brown body showing off an intricate net-like reticulated pattern. It's genuinely easy to confuse with the similarly patterned Stars & Stripes Puffer, though the two are distinguished by where the stripes and spots divide — front-to-back on this species, versus top-to-bottom on the Stars & Stripes.
Native to a genuinely wide range across the Indo-West Pacific, this species inhabits a genuine variety of habitats including mangrove swamps, seagrass beds, and reef flats.
Like other members of the Arothron genus, this species is genuinely known for its intelligence and personality, quickly learning to recognise its keeper. We want to be honest that it's genuinely a determined predator and will eat smaller fish, ornamental shrimp, crabs, snails, urchins, and clams, and may nip the fins of slow-moving tank mates. We want to be upfront: this species is not reef safe, and may also graze on coralline algae and stony corals.
 
🟤⚪ Highlights
🎨 Mossy-Brown Body With a Net-Like Pattern: A genuinely decorative, distinctive pufferfish
🔍 Genuine Naming Overlap: Easily confused with the Stars & Stripes Puffer
⚠️ Genuinely Grows Large: Please read our disclosure above before purchasing
⚠️ Not Reef Safe: Will eat small fish, invertebrates, and may graze on stony corals
😊 Genuinely Personable: Known for recognising its keeper