Guineafowl Puffer/Golden Pufferfish Arothron meleagris

This fish has two very different colour forms and its name varies according to form: the Guineafowl Puffer usually refers to the white-spotted on black form above, looking like the plumage of the Guineafowl bird (its scientific name meleagris means guineafowl). Its yellow form below is usually called the Golden Puffer. It changes from the dark form to the golden form over its life (with a patchy intermediate form). It is also sometimes called the Spotted Puffer, but other puffers share this name. It is native to tropical areas of the Indian and Pacific Oceans (west and east).

The Golden Pufferfish (the yellow form) at first glance looks like the yellow variant of the Black-spotted or Dog-faced Puffer, which is a close relative. Differences include "guineafowl" markings on the fins, a warmer gold colour, different mouth shape and lack of prominent dentures. (An unrelated freshwater fish, Auriglobus modestus, is also called Golden Puffer as well as Bronze).

It grows to 50cm long. Diet includes most invertebrates, especially crustaceans and urchins which its crushes using its fused, beaklike mouth.

Like all pufferfish, it can inflate its body like a ball with air and water to 3 times its size to deter predators. It also has a deadly toxin if eaten.