Juvenile Blacksaddle filefish, aka "false puffer" (Paraluteres prionurus)
©Eric Heupel 2020

©Eric Heupel 2020

Initial shape and color pattern sketch
©Eric Heupel 2020

Initial shape and color pattern sketch
©Eric Heupel 2020

Color Blocking for fish and background
©Eric Heupel, 2020

Color Blocking for fish and background
©Eric Heupel, 2020

Juvenile Blacksaddle filefish, aka "false puffer" (Paraluteres prionurus)

A researcher posted a picture of an adorable juvenile filefish on twitter (https://twitter.com/Ryusan_fish/status/1302794211691917312 ) so I just had to try and do it justice. This is a very interesting fish from reefs and lagoons of the Indo-Pacific. It is not toxic, but as a defense it mimics the toxic puffer, Canthigaster valentini (Fugu in sushi terms) which it greatly resembles. As an adult it will reach ~11-12cm total length, this juvi was ~1cm.

https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Paraluteres-prionurus.html

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