Arothron

Taxobox
name = "Arothron"


image_width = 240px
image_caption = White-spotted Puffer, "Arothron hispidus"
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Actinopterygii
ordo = Tetraodontiformes
familia = Tetraodontidae
genus = "Arothron"
genus_authority = Müller, 1841
subdivision_ranks = Species
subdivision = See text.

The genus "Arothron", or fat puffers, is a member of the pufferfish family (Tetraodontidae). "Arothron" is perhaps notable as being the pufferfish most commonly kept by marine aquarists. Also it is especially this genus that divers and hobbyists describe as being 'cute', due to their large expressive eyes, the ability to blink and vocalise and their dog-like snouts. The largest of these is the species "stellatus" which can grow to 48 inches in length.

All species of puffers are highly toxic, containing a lethal poison called tetrodotoxin, perhaps the most potent toxin in nature, 10,000 times more powerful than cyanide. A dose of 1 - 2 mg of toxin can be lethal. Reported cases from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have documented toxicity with ingestion of as little as 1.4 ounces of puffer fish. Patients with severe toxicity may have deep coma, fixed nonreactive pupils, apnea, and loss of all brain stem reflexes. Death can occur within 4 - 6 hours. Typically, death occurs from respiratory muscle paralysis and respiratory failure.

Species

* Blue-spotted puffer, "Arothron caeruleopunctatus" Matsuura, 1994
* "Arothron carduus" (Cantor, 1849))
* Masked puffer, "Arothron diadematus" (Rüppell, 1829)
* Starry toado, "Arothron firmamentum" (Temminck & Schlegel, 1850)
* "Arothron gillbanksii" (Clarke, 1897)
* Poison puffer or white-spotted puffer, "Arothron hispidus" (Linnaeus, 1758)
* Immaculate puffer, "Arothron immaculatus" (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
* Bellystriped blaasop, "Arothron inconditus" Smith, 1958
* Banded leopardblowfish, "Arothron leopardus" (Day, 1878)
* Guinea fowl puffer, "Arothron meleagris" (Lacépède, 1798)
* Map puffer, "Arothron mappa" (Lesson, 1831)
* Narrow-lined puffer, "Arothron manilensis" (de Procé, 1822)
* Blackspotted puffer, "Arothron nigropunctatus" (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
* Reticulated puffer, "Arothron reticularis" (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
* Star puffer, "Arothron stellatus" (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)

References

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