Galapagos Species Database
The Galapagos Species Database shares the information about the species from our Natural History Collections.
Arothron meleagris
botete, tamborial negro, tamboríl negro, botete negro, Guineafowl puffer
Spotted Phase: dorsal, anal and tail fins bordered in light purplish gray to white. Golden phase: whitish belly; may have some dark spotting and whitish blotches. To at least 35 cm.
Habitat: Coral-reefs areas
Domain
Eukaryota
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Teleostei
Order
Tetraodontiformes
Family
Tetraodontidae
Genus
Arothron
Species
meleagris
Taxon category: Accepted
Syn.: Arothron meleagridis (Anonymous, 1798) misspelling, Arothron ophryas Cope, 1871, Arothron setosus (Smith, 1886), Ovoides latifrons Jenkins, 1901, Tetraodon lacrymatus Quoy & Gaimard, 1824, Tetraodon meleagris Anonymous, 1798 , Tetraodon setosus Smith, 1886 , Tetrodon meleagris Anonymous, 1798 (misspelling), Tetrodon setosus Smith, 1886 ) fide Horton et al. ( 2021).
Origin: Native
Map of specimen collection localities or observation records for this species in our collections database.
Distribution: Indo-Pacific only; in the eastern Pacific from the Gulf of California to coastal Ecuador, also Clipperon, Cocos, Easter, Revillagigedos and Ecuador in Galápagos Islands, and all eastern pacific islands.
- Appeltans, W. Bouchet, P., Boxshall, G.A., Fauchald, K., Gordon, D.P., Hoeksema, B.W., Poore, G.C.B., van Soest, R.W.M., Stöhr, S., Walter, T.C., Costello, M.J. (eds.) (2010) World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS). Available online at http://www.marinespecies.org.
- Banks, S. Vera, M. & Chiriboga, A. (2009) Establishing Reference Points to Assess Long-Term Change in Zooxanthellate Coral Communities of the Northern Galapagos Coral Reefs. J. Sci. Conserv. in the Galapagos Islands, p. 43-64.
- Constant, P. (2007) Marine Life of the Galapagos. The Diver's guide to Fishes, Whales, Dolphins and marine Invertebrates, 307 pp.
- Grove, J.S. Lavenberg, R.J. (1997) The Fishes of the Galapagos Islands. Stanford University Press, Stanford California. 862 pp.
- Humann, P. Deloach, N. (2003) Reef Fish Identification - Galapagos. New World Publication, Inc. Florida USA & Libri Mundi, Quito, Ecuador, 226 pp.
- IUCN (2023) The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2022-2 Https://www.iucnredlist.org
- IUCN (2010) IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2010.1. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 26 April 2010.
- McCosker, J.E. Rosenblatt, R.H. (2010) The fishes of the Galápagos Archipelago: an update. Proc. Calif. Acad. Sc., Ser. 4, vol. 61, Suppl. II, no. 11: 167-195.
You are welcome to download and use the information found in this page, acknowledging its source.
This page should be cited as follows:
"Galapagos Species Database, Arothron meleagris", dataZone. Charles Darwin Foundation, https://datazone.darwinfoundation.org/en/checklist/?species=7834. Accessed 30 October 2026.