Map puffer

Arothron mappa

Also known as Scribbled puffer, Mappa puffer, Map toadfish, Scribbled toadfish

SaltwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 75–81°F (24–27°C)
pH: 8.0–8.4
Adult size: 23.6 in (60 cm)
Minimum tank: 238 gal (900 L)
Temperament: Mostly peaceful
Social behavior: Solitary
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Difficult
Breeding: No record
Rarity: Rare
Reef safe: Not reef safe
Origin: Native to the Indo-Pacific, living in lagoons and on coral reefs near sheltered rubble and seagrass.
Family: Tetraodontidae

Overview

Only take this fish on if you can provide a fish-only tank of at least 900 litres with heavy filtration, since it is large and produces a lot of waste. Keep it at 24 to 27 C and pH 8.0 to 8.4. It is not reef safe and will crush snails, crabs, shrimp and clams and bite corals, so keep it with large fish only. Feed a hard-shelled diet of clams, mussels, crab and shrimp to wear down the constantly growing beak.

In the wild

The map puffer is named for the maze of dark lines that radiate from its eyes and scribble across its pale body like contour lines on a map. It is one of the largest commonly kept Arothron puffers and grows into a heavy, powerful fish around 60 cm. Each one develops a distinct personality and learns to beg at the glass.

Good to know

Arothron mappa reaches roughly 60 cm and carries tetrodotoxin in its skin and organs like other puffers. It has no pelvic fins and swims by sculling with its pectoral, dorsal and anal fins, which makes it slow and deliberate. The line pattern around the eyes is unique to each individual.

Did you know

Because the scribbled markings around the face never repeat, experienced keepers can recognise individual map puffers the way you would recognise a fingerprint.