Yellow-spotted Burrfish

Cyclichthys spilostylus, commonly known as the spotbase burrfish or yellowspotted burrfish, is a marine fish species belonging to the family Diodontidae.

The spotbase burrfish can be found in various regions, ranging from the 🌊 Red Sea to 🇿🇦 South Africa, and extending eastwards to southern 🇯🇵 Japan, the 🇵🇭 Philippines, 🇦🇺 Australia, and 🇳🇨 New Caledonia (🇫🇷 Overseas France). It has also been observed around the Galapagos Islands and, to a lesser extent, in the Mediterranean Sea.

These fish inhabit coastal waters near reefs at depths of 3m – 90m. They prefer seagrass habitats and coastal slopes with sponges. Typically, they hide under rocks or coral ledges during the day and are most active during the night. Spotbase burrfish are usually solitary, with juvenile individuals being pelagic.

Adult Cyclichthys spilostylus can grow up to 34 cm in length. They possess short, rigid spines covering their bodies and have 11-13 dorsal soft rays and 10-12 anal soft rays. The body coloration is dusky above, with a lighter shade below. The spines originate from contrasting spots, appearing darker below and lighter above. Their fins are unspotted, and their caudal peduncle lacks spines.

Spotbase burrfish are nocturnal creatures, active mainly during the night. During the day, they seek shelter under ledges. Juvenile individuals, on the other hand, are pelagic. Their diet consists primarily of hard-shelled invertebrates, including molluscs, crustaceans, and sea urchins.

There are three potential hazards associated with these fish:

1. Spotbase burrfish have been known to cause Ciguatera fish poisoning in humans.
2. Similar to pufferfishes and boxfishes, they have the ability to concentrate tetrodotoxin within their bodies.
3. The fish possesses extremely strong jaws, capable of inflicting severe bites.