Crowned puffer
(Canthigaster coronata)

General data

Scientific names: Crowned puffer
Local names: Pu’u olai
Habitat: Saltwater
Climate: Tropical
Native to coast of: North America
Distribution: Pacific Ocean

Canthigaster coronata, commonly called the crowned toby, is a species of pufferfish endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. It occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade.

The crowned toby grows to a size of 14 cm in length.

Its back has three dark brown saddles that may have reminded Hawaiians of lava flows, hence the species being known by its Hawaiian name pu’u olai, meaning cinder cone. Yellow dots cover much of the whitish bodies, while blue and yellow lines radiate from their eyes.