All fish / Tetraodontidae

Hawaiian Whitespotted Toby

Canthigaster jactator

Also known as whitespotted toby, hawaiian toby, white spotted toby, hawaiian sharpnose puffer, whitespotted sharpnose puffer, jactator toby, toby puffer, ハワイアンシマキンチャクフグ, 夏威夷尖鼻鲀

This is a small sharpnose puffer with a brown body covered in neat white spots. It only grows to a few centimetres, has lots of character and is fairly tough, so it is a popular choice for fish-only marine tanks.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

9 cm

Temperature

23 to 27 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

120 litres

Keep as

Keep singly, or as a male and female pair in a larger tank

Diet

Carnivore: chopped shellfish, mysis, krill, squid and snails, plus hard-shelled foods to wear down the beak

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 10 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Hawaiian Islands and Johnston Atoll (endemic)

Breeding

Pairs spawn on algae and the male guards the eggs for a short time. The larvae are very small and drift in open water, so the species has rarely been raised in captivity.

Good to know

It nips at sessile invertebrates, crustaceans and the fins of slow fish, so it is not reef safe. Its skin and organs contain tetrodotoxin, which makes it poisonous to eat. Keep it away from other puffers, because they fight.