Guineafowl Puffer: A Night Sky in Fish Form

The guineafowl puffer is a round, slow-moving pufferfish whose black body is sprinkled all over with tiny white spots, like a patch of starry sky. Calm and curious, it's a favorite sighting. Here's how to spot one snorkeling near Jacó, plus five fun facts.

Guineafowl Puffer · Arothron meleagris

How to spot the guineafowl puffer near Jacó

Look around coral heads and rocky reef for a plump, deliberate fish covered in fine white spots on a dark body. The guineafowl puffer drifts along slowly, steering with small fluttering fins, often pausing to nibble at coral or sponge. Its unhurried pace makes it an easy and rewarding one to watch.

5 fun facts about the guineafowl puffer

• A starry disguise. Its black body dusted with white spots looks just like a guineafowl bird's plumage — and gives it its name.
• Three color moods. It also comes in a bright golden-yellow form and a mixed black-and-yellow form, all the same species.
• A beak made for coral. Four fused teeth form a strong beak it uses to bite off chunks of coral and crush hard-shelled snacks.
• It puffs up for defense. Like all puffers, it can gulp water to balloon into a hard-to-swallow ball when threatened — which is why we only ever watch, never chase.
• Slow but confident. It has few predators thanks to natural toxins in its body, so it cruises the reef in no particular hurry.

The guineafowl puffer is just one of many characters down there. See the whole cast in our Snorkel Jaco fish directory, or read real guest photos and reviews on the Snorkel Jaco reviews.