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Banded toadfish (Torquigener pleurogramma) — Tetraodontidae

Banded toadfish

Torquigener pleurogramma

The Banded toadfish (Torquigener pleurogramma) is a brackish-water fish of the family Tetraodontidae that grows up to 21 cm.

Length
21 cm
Water
Brackish
Depth
1.0–30.0 m
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Venomous / poisonous
Edibility
Not eaten

Description

The banded toadfish is a pufferfish (Tetraodontidae) from coastal and estuarine water of Australia. The species grows to about 21 cm and has a stocky, silver-grey body with a row of dark blotches along the flank and a silvery belly. It forms large schools over sand and mud bottoms of bays and estuaries and crushes small molluscs and crustaceans. When threatened it inflates. Its skin and organs can contain tetrodotoxin; eating it is dangerous.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Banded toadfish?

The Banded toadfish has a torpedo-shaped body.

Where does the Banded toadfish live?

The Banded toadfish lives in brackish water and is mostly found around sand or mud bottom.

How big does the Banded toadfish get?

The Banded toadfish grows to a maximum of about 21 cm.

Is the Banded toadfish dangerous to humans?

The Banded toadfish is venomous — handle spines with care and seek medical help after a sting if needed.

Is the Banded toadfish edible?

The Banded toadfish is not usually eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Gebande zandkogelvis sourced
English name
Banded toadfish sourced
Scientific name
Torquigener pleurogramma
Family
Tetraodontidae
Other names
Common blowfish; Common toadfish; Striped toadfish; Weeping toado verified

Appearance

Size class
Medium verified
Max length (cm)
21.0 verified
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped sourced
Tail shape
Rounded inferred

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Brackish sourced
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom sourced
Min depth (m)
1.0 verified
Max depth (m)
30.0 verified
Origin
Native inferred

Behaviour & biology

Territorial
No inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes inferred
Sexual dimorphism
No inferred

For anglers

Edibility
Not eaten sourced
Fishing method
Bodemvissen met natuurlijk aas (worm, garnaal of vis) op of vlak boven de bodem. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Venomous / poisonous verified

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Torquigener

More from the family Tetraodontidae

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