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Associations

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The parasitic branchiuran crustacean Argulus varians has been reported from checkered puffers collected in Biscayne Bay, Florida, U.S.A. (Bouchet 1985).

A new species of parasitic monogenean flatworm, Heterobothrium lamothei, was described in 2008 from the gills of checkered puffers off the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula in southeastern Mexico (Vidal-Martinez and Mendoza-Franco 2008).

The intestinal nematode Capillaria carioca is known from the checkered puffer in Mexico and elsewhere (Moravec et al. 1995).

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Behaviour

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In a study in a Caribbean mangrove habitat, in Honduras, MacDonald et al. (2009) found that checkered puffers spent about 60% of their time resting in place, often protected within the maze of mangrove roots, following brief intervals spent swimming or feeding.

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Comprehensive Description

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The checkered puffer (Sphoeroides testudineus), like other puffers in the fish family Tetraodontidae, is able to inflate its body by swallowing water (or air, if it is removed from the water), making the fish globular and difficult for predators to attack (Robins et al. 1986). Like many other puffers, the checkered puffer can be highly toxic as a result of tetrodotoxins and saxitoxins in their bodies (Abbott et al. 2009), making them potentially quite dangerous to consume. Like all puffers, it is a poor swimmer and propels itself by flapping its small dorsal and anal fins (Boschung et al. 1983).

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Distribution

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Boschung et al. (1983) write that the checkered puffer occurs from New Jersey (U.S.A.) to southeastern Brazil, including Central America and the Caribbean, but is not known from the Gulf of Mexico.

Robins et al. (1986) give the range of this species as Rhode Island, Bermuda, and southern Gulf of Mexico to southeastern Brazil.

The checkered puffer is abundant from the Atlantic coast of southern Florida, throughout the Caribbean Islands, Campeche Bay, and along the coasts of Central and South America to Santos, Brazil (Shipp 1974, cited in Targett 1979).

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Genetics

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Noleto et al. (2009) estimated the haploid genome size for the checkered puffer to be 0.82 ± 0.03 pg (the family Tetraodontidae in general has unusually small genomes and in the same paper Noleto et al. report their haploid genome size estimate for the bandtail puffer (Sphoeroides spengleri) to be 0.34 ± 0.01 pg, the smallest vertebrate genome reported to date).

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Habitat

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The checkered puffer is found over mud and sand to 11 fathoms (66 feet or about 20 meters). It sometimes occurs in nearly fresh water and often around mangroves. In the United States, its center of abundance is southern Florida (Boschung et al. 1983).

The checkered puffer is common in bays, tidal creeks, and protected coastal waterways, especially on seagrass beds, but is rare or absent around coral reefs (Robins et al. 1986).

The checkered puffer is a common tetraodontid in Caribbean mangrove and other shallow habitats (Targett 1978). Juveniles and adults are found primarily in seagrass beds, but also occur in other shallow near-shore marine and brackish habitats, including tidal creeks and mangrove lagoons (Pauly 1991). Very little is reported on the behavior of this species, but they feed extensively on sessile prey and rely on their inflationary abilities for defense, reducing the need for fast, active swimming (Targett 1978).

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Lookalikes

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There are a number of other Sphoeroides puffers in addition to the checkered puffer (S. testudineus). One of the more distinctive is the bandtail puffer (Sphoeroides spengleri), which occurs from Massachusetts to southeastern Brazil and is frequently encountered in Bermuda, South Florida, the Bahamas, and the Caribbean. This species has a lengthwise row of large, distinct spots on its lower sides from the chin to the base of the caudal (tail) fin, a dark bar on the base and on the outer third of the caudal fin, and fleshy flaps on the back and sides (Boschung et al. 1983; Robins et al. 1986). Checkered puffers grow to a larger size and are heavier than bandtail puffers at a given length (Targett 1979).

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Morphology

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The checkered puffer has a network of pale tan to yellowish lines centered on a "bull's-eye" on the midback in front of the dorsal fin; the lines define dark gray to olive areas, which are often squarish or polygonal, and each of these areas contains small, darker brown spots. The cheeks and lower sides have small, dark brown spots; the undersides are whitish and unmarked. This species reaches a size of about 30 cm in length (Robins et al. 1986).

The checkered puffer is dark above with 1 or 2 distinct transverse bars between eyes, diverse white lines, and a weblike pattern. The sides have distinct spots and the belly is white. There are 2 teeth in each jaw. Pelvic fins are absent. There are 8 dorsal fin soft rays, directly opposite the anus; 7 anal fin soft rays; and the caudal fin is straight to slightly rounded. Prickles are present on the back and belly. There are no fleshy flaps on the body, as are present in some other puffers. This species reaches a size of about 38 cm in length (Boschung et al. 1983).

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Physiology

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The checkered puffer (Sphoeroides testudineus) has been shown to be tolerant of a wide range of salinity levels (Sanchez et al. 2008 and references therein).

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Reproduction

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In a study in Biscayne Bay, Florida, U.S.A., Targett (1979) found that the checkered puffer spawning season begins in the spring and is concentrated during summer and early fall. Over the female size range examined, fecundity averaged 1,146 eggs/gram of body weight.

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Risk Statement

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Many puffer species contain potentially deadly toxins, making them unfit for human consumption. The more familiar class of puffer toxins is the tetrodotoxins (TTX), which are produced by the puffers themselves or by associated bacteria. A second important class of toxins often found in puffers is the saxitoxins (STX), which are acquired primarily from dinoflagellates in the environment. Worldwide, STX has been found along with TTX in several marine and freshwater puffer fish species in areas of the Far East, including Japan and the Philippines (Abbott et al. 2009 and references therein). Abbott et al. (2009) analyzed saxitoxin levels in the bodies of three common puffer species from multiple sites in Florida, including the checkered puffer (Sphoeroides testudineus). The skin of the checkered puffer contained the greatest levels of STX of all checkered puffer tissues collected, but STX levels were much lower than those observed in the skin of the most abundant puffer in the study, the southern puffer (S. nephelus). STX toxicity in muscle tissue was also much less in the checkered puffer than in the southern puffer. However, a recent study in Florida found that the checkered puffer and bandtail puffer (S. spengleri) both contained greater levels of TTX than STX, whereas the southern puffer, which regularly tested extremely high for STX, contained only trace amounts of TTX (Deeds et al., 2008). Unlike TTX, which is usually confined to the viscera (especially the liver) and skin, STX can be found in dangerous concentrations in all tissues, including muscle, making the careful preparation sometimes undertaken to avoid TTX poisoning ineffective for avoiding STX (Landsberg et al. 2006). Although STX poisoning from pufferfish was previously known from Asia, only recently has it been confirmed for pufferfish in the United States (Landsberg et al. 2006). Puffer fish have recently emerged as a primary reservoir of STXs in marine waters in Florida, and Landsberg et al. (2006) implicated for the first time the tropical western Atlantic dinoflagellate Pyrodinium bahamense as the source of toxicity.

TTXs are chemically distinct from STXs, but both neurotoxins produce similar symptoms in mammals because they act on site 1 of the voltage-dependent sodium channel, blocking the influx of sodium into excitable cells and restricting signal transmission along nerve and muscle membranes. The symptoms of traditional puffer fish poisoning (PFP) from TTXs and paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) from STXs include tingling and numbness of the mouth, lips, tongue, face, and fingers; paralysis of the extremities; nausea; vomiting; ataxia; drowsiness; difficulty in speaking; progressively decreasing ventilatory efficiency; and finally in extreme cases, death by asphyxiation caused by respiratory paralysis (Landsberg et al. 2006).

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Trophic Strategy

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Both checkered and bandtail puffers feed mainly on crabs, bivalves, and gastropods (Targett 1978). They use their beaklike jaws (paired premaxillary and dentary bones) to break the shelled prey. Costa et al. (2009) found that the checkered puffer consumed large numbers of brachyuran crab larvae and juveniles in Guaratuba Bay in southern Brazil.

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Uses

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In 1983, a paper was published by Wade Davis, a young ethnobotanist, with the intriguing title "The ethnobiology of the Haitian zombie". Among other things, the author claimed that tetrodotoxins from pufferfish were, in at least some cases, key ingredients in "zombie powder" used by Haitian voodoo practitioners to turn people into zombies (Wade 1983). The author suggested that zombies were a real phenomenon and that, rather than dead people returned to life, they were people who were brought to the brink of death using specially concocted poisons, buried alive, then dug up again and, in some cases, recovered under the control of the voodoo practitioner. Davis' rich, fascinating account captured the imagination of those who heard about it and his conclusions were widely disseminated, primarily in the popular media (including books by Davis and a film). Although the work by Davis and his supporters (Davis 1983; Benedek and Rivier 1989) was harshly criticized by scientists as exceptionally sloppy or even fraudulent science with little or no factual substance (Booth 1988, Yasumoto and Kao 1986; Kao and Yasumoto 1990), at the very least it brought awareness of pufferfish tetrodotoxin poisoning to a broader audience. It may also serve as an interesting study of the differences between promoting scientific hypotheses in the popular press versus the peer-reviewed scientific literature.

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Diagnostic Description

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Greenish above, pale yellow to white below; back has series of pale lines and arcs suggesting concentric circles with intersecting lines. No other puffer has this color pattern (Ref. 26938).
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Recorder
Cristina V. Garilao
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Life Cycle

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Spawning season is from late spring to early fall at Biscayne Bay, Florida. Mean length at first maturity is over 13 cm TL.
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Crispina B. Binohlan
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Morphology

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Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 11 - 12; Analspines: 0; Analsoft rays: 11
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Trophic Strategy

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Has been observed to manipulate prey using its beak-like teeth, but primarily crushes items within the oral cavity, using its crushing plates (Ref. 45549).
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Biology

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Commonly found in bays, tidal creeks and protected coastal waters, especially on seagrass beds, and in brackish water. Rare or absent on coral reefs. Does not form schools, but may form huge aggregates. Hides in the sand when frightened (Ref. 9710). Feeds mainly on bivalves, gastropods, foraminiferans and several other benthic invertebrates specially crustaceans, which it crushes with its powerful teeth (Ref. 35237). To ward off predators, it inflates itself like a balloon. Highly toxic; used to poison cats and dogs (Ref. 2861).
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Importance

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fisheries: of no interest
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Checkered puffer

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The checkered puffer (Sphoeroides testudineus) is a species in the family Tetraodontidae, or pufferfishes.

Description

The checkered puffer, Sphoeroides testudineus, is one of several fish species belonging to the family Tetradontidae, meaning “four teeth”. Puffers have four tooth plates arranged in quadrants, with two teeth on the bottom and two on the top (Carpenter 2002). These teeth form a strong, heavy beak capable of cracking through hard prey such as mollusks and crustaceans, as well as sipunculids, tunicates, seagrass and detritus.[2] Puffers are named for their ability to swell by swallowing water or air when threatened. They have no spinous dorsal fin, absent or reduced scales, sandpapery denticles on various areas of the body, and a reduced gill opening. Identification of species is determined in part through color, pattern, and the presence and number of spines and fleshy tabs, or lappets, on the skin (Robins & Ray 1986). The checkered puffer is pale tan to yellowish with a polygonal or square network of lines centered on a bulls-eye pattern on the midback in front of the dorsal fin. Lines are dark gray to olive, with small, dark brown spots on cheeks and lower sides. The abdomen is whitish and unmarked. Dark bands are present on the caudal fin.

Potentially Misidentified Species

Several species of puffers inhabit the waters of the Indian River Lagoon (IRL). In addition to S. testudineus, three other Florida puffer species belong to the genus Sphoeroides are found in the IRL. These include: the northern puffer, S. maculatus; the southern puffer, S. nephelus; and the bandtail puffer, S. spengleri. The northern puffer is olive-gray with many black spots and 6–7 vertical gray areas on the side (Robins & Ray 1986). It has a black bar between the eyes and prickles on the skin of the tail. S. maculatus grows to a maximum length of 36 cm, slightly larger than the checkered puffer. The southern puffer is similar to S. maculatus, but lacks the black spots on the sides and dorsal surface. Instead, pale tan rings or semicircles cover this area, and larger dark spots are variable on the sides. Dark slashes are sometimes present on the lower half of the cheek, and prickles are found on the posterior ventral surface near or at the anus. The bandtail puffer is usually dark brown above, with pale sides and white underneath. A row of large brownish black spots extends from the chin to the caudal-fin base on the lower sides, separate from the dark dorsal color. Many tan, fleshy tabs are present near the rear of the body. At only 18 cm, the reported maximum size for S. spengleri is much less than that of the checkered puffer.

Habitat and distribution

The checkered puffer ranges from Rhode Island to Florida, Bermuda, and the southeast Gulf of Mexico to the southeastern coasts of Brazil (Robins & Ray 1986). It is common in bays, seagrass beds, tidal creeks, mangrove swamps, and into freshwater areas (Figueiredo & Menezes 2000).

The checkered puffer is distributed throughout the IRL. Most populations are found in association with seagrass beds and mangroves, although some individuals occur in rocky intertidal and hardbottom areas as well.

Life history and population biology

Age, Size, Lifespan: Information concerning the maximum age and average lifespan of S. testudineus is lacking. Growth rates vary with environmental conditions, food availability and other factors. The maximum reported size for the checkered puffer is 30 cm (Robins & Ray 1986), but most specimens are much smaller.

Abundance: Little information is available on the abundance of S. testudineus. However, it is a common species found in many estuarine habitats. Juveniles are frequently caught in seagrass beds and around mangrove roots. The checkered puffer is listed as one of eight dominant fish species in coastal waters of Yucatán, Mexico (Vega-Cendejas & de Santillana 2004).[3]

References

  1. ^ Shao, K.; Matsuura, K.; Leis, J.L.; Hardy, G.; Larson, H.; Liu, M. (2014). "Sphoeroides testudineus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2014: e.T193813A2281154. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2014-3.RLTS.T193813A2281154.en. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  2. ^ https://sta.uwi.edu/fst/lifesciences/sites/default/files/lifesciences/documents/ogatt/Sphoeroides_testudineus%20-%20Checkered%20Puffer.pdf
  3. ^ Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2008). Species of Sphoeroides in FishBase. June 2008 version.

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Checkered puffer: Brief Summary

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The checkered puffer (Sphoeroides testudineus) is a species in the family Tetraodontidae, or pufferfishes.

Normal sizes: 4 to 7 in. (10 to 18 cm) Travel / Living Depth: 3– 35 ft. (1-12m). Location and Distribution: Caribbean, The Bahamas, Florida, and Gulf of Mexico.
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Distribution

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Western Atlantic: Rhode Island, USA to southeastern Brazil.

Reference

North-West Atlantic Ocean species (NWARMS)

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Habitat

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benthic

Reference

North-West Atlantic Ocean species (NWARMS)

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