I encountered this particularly large giant pufferfish (Arothron stellatus: 90 cms.) while exploring the hold of the wreck of a Greek registered freighter - Chrisoula K - at Sha'ab Abu Nuhas in the Egyptian Red Sea. The species is found on or near coral reefs in the Indo-Pacific region, where it lives by itself. It feeds mainly on molluscs, crustaceans, sponges and coral polyps. The animal's skin and some of its internal organs contain a powerful tetrodotoxin which can cause death if eaten. This deters predators, as does the fish's ability to double its size, when alarmed, by swallowing water.

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Size: 2632px × 1600px
Location: Wreck of Chrisoula K, Sha'ab Abu Nuhas, Egyptian Red Sea.
Photo credit: © Terence Dormer / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No

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