Identification
Permissions for Use
© Jeffrey N. Jeffords. Please remember that all photographs by Jeffrey N. Jeffords appearing on the Animal Diversity Web are copyrighted, and may not be used in any form, even on the Internet, without a licensing agreement. Exception: teachers and educators using the material in a classroom setting, students using this material for school assignments; or anyone for personal, non-commmercial use, such as screen savers. Unauthorized usage is a violation of the Federal Copyright Law. E-mail me for permission to use at this address: 
seaslugs@hotmail.com
Location
Luzon Island, Philippines
This three-inch Sharp-nose puffer (Canthigaster cinctus) appears to be taking a rest on a sponge, a common behavior among these petite fish. The clasped, often curled position of the caudal fin is normal, even when swimming. Sharp-nosed puffers are also capable of inflating themselves. Their small size (maximum about five inches) suggests they may use a much wider variety of hiding places on the reef-- I can certainly attest they are more difficult to corner for a photograph. This is one of several different coloration patterns among the numerous species of sharp-nosed puffers, with three triangular pigment "saddles" across its back ("cinctus" in the taxonomic name means "band").
Jeffrey N. Jeffords (photographer, copyright holder, identification)
