Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) >
Tetraodontiformes (Puffers and filefishes) >
Tetraodontidae (Puffers) > Tetraodontinae
Etymology: Colomesus: Greek, kolos = short, truncated + Greek, mesos = a half (Ref. 45335).
Environment / Climate / Range
Ecology
Marine; freshwater; brackish; demersal; pH range: 7.0 - ? ; dH range: 10 - ?; depth range 1 - 40 m (Ref. 5217). Tropical; 23°C - 26°C (Ref. 2060), preferred ?
Western Atlantic: Gulf of Paria to the Amazon River in Brazil.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 29.3 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 71685); common length : 25.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 5217)
Dorsal
spines
(total): 0;
Dorsal
soft rays
(total): 11-12;
Anal
spines: 0;
Anal
soft rays: 11. Body except for snout, pectoral base and caudal peduncle covered with prickles; teeth fused into plates, two plates on each jaw; nostril with two openings; body dark green dorsally with six transverse black bars, white ventrally; fins dusky green or dark brown (Ref. 13608).
Solitary or in groups of 2 or 3 individuals but never in schools (Ref. 35237). Inhabits shallow inshore waters usually on soft bottoms. Frequently found in freshwater (Ref. 13608). When threatened, it becomes inflated like a balloon, in order to ward off predators. Carnivorous, feeding mainly on mollusks which crushes with its powerful teeth (Ref. 35237). Of negligible commercial importance and usually not marketed (Ref. 5217).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Cervigón, F., R. Cipriani, W. Fischer, L. Garibaldi, M. Hendrickx, A.J. Lemus, R. Márquez, J.M. Poutiers, G. Robaina and B. Rodriguez, 1992. Fichas FAO de identificación de especies para los fines de la pesca. Guía de campo de las especies comerciales marinas y de aquas salobres de la costa septentrional de Sur América. FAO, Rome. 513 p. Preparado con el financiamento de la Comisión de Comunidades Europeas y de NORAD. (Ref. 5217)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 115185)
CITES (Ref. 94142)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Aquarium: commercial
More information
Common namesSynonymsMetabolismPredatorsEcotoxicologyReproductionMaturitySpawningFecundityEggsEgg development
ReferencesAquacultureAquaculture profileStrainsGeneticsAllele frequenciesHeritabilityDiseasesProcessingMass conversion
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Estimates of some properties based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82805): PD
50 = 0.7500 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.02570 (0.01629 - 0.04055), b=2.86 (2.73 - 2.99), in cm Total Length, based on LWR estimates for this species & (Sub)family-body (Ref.
93245).
Trophic Level (Ref.
69278): 3.6 ±0.50 se; Based on food items.
Resilience (Ref.
69278): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (25 of 100) .
