Map Puffer

Arothron mappa grows up to 65 cm length. Its body is oval, spherical yet relatively elongated. The skin is not covered with scales, rather, the majority of the map puffer's body is covered with small dermal spines with the exception of areas around the mouth, pectoral fin base, and caudal fin base. The fish has no pelvic fin and no lateral line. The dorsal fin and the anal fin are small, symmetric and located at the end of the body. Its snout is short with two pairs of nostrils and its mouth contains four strong teeth which have fused into an edged beak. These teeth continue to grow throughout A. mappa's entire life, and must be constantly dulled by consuming hard-shelled prey. The background coloration is whitish with dense network of black, brown or greenish broken lines, with an irradiant line departure from the eye. Depending on specimen, some dark or yellowish blotches can occur around the mouth, the symmetrical anus, on the fins or anywhere on the body.

Arothron mappa is found in tropical and subtropical waters from the Indian Ocean to the western Pacific Ocean. Adults can be found along both deep drop-offs and clear lagoon and sheltered reefs from the surface to 30 m depth. Juveniles can be found on seagrass beds.

Courting begins when an A. mappa male constructs a large flattened circle in a substrate by using its fins to dig and stir up sand particles. The male will then dig geometric valleys and ridges within the circle to create a complex and geometric maze-like pattern. This acts as both a mating display to attract females and a nesting site for eggs to be laid. When a female A. mappa approaches a nest, the male will swim around and stir the sand to draw the female's attention. If the courtship ritual is successful, the female will enter the nest and release her eggs, which the male then fertilizes. Fertilized eggs will remain and develop within the nest until they hatch into a planktonic larval stage.

Despite containing tetrodotoxin, several species of pufferfish are eaten in Japan. One study shows that the level of toxicity in the flesh of map puffers is considered acceptable for human consumption. Nonetheless, the skin, liver, gonads, and intestines of the map puffer should not be consumed, as they contain high concentrations of tetrodotoxin. Specialized training is required to prepare a puffer fish containing tetrodotoxin for consumption, as to not contaminate the edible flesh with tetrodotoxin contained within the fish's skin and organs.