English: Stellate puffer (Arothron stellatus), Ras Katy, Sharm el-Sheikh, Red Sea, Egypt. This demersal marine fish belongs to the pufferfish family. It is found in shallow water in tropical and subtropical waters from the Indian Ocean and Red Sea as far as Polynesia, southern Japan, the western, northern and eastern coasts of Australia and Lord Howe Island. It's a medium-sized fish which can grow up to 120 cm (47 in) in length and has a large head and no pelvic fin. It feeds on benthic invertebrates, sponges, algae, the polyps of corals, crustaceans and mollusks. This pufferfish is diurnal, is mainly solitary and defends a territory. As with many other puffers, this pufferfish has a symbiotic relationship with types of bacteria that produces tetradotoxin which is a powerful neurotoxin. Tetradoxin is found in their skin and internal organs like liver and is approximately 100 times more toxic than cyanide, what makes pufferfishes among the most poisonous vertebrates in the world. They are therefore highly toxic to most animals when eaten. Nevertheless, the meat of some species is considered a delicacy in Japan, Korea, and China when prepared by specially trained chefs who know which part is safe to eat and in what quantity. Furthermore one of the most known characteristics of pufferfishes is that they can inflate taking water or air an so multiply their size several times to avoid that they can be swallowed by predators.