Canthigaster solandri (Spotted toby)
Brown, with a pale belly, covered in white to blue/green spots, similar color lines on the snout and back, ocellated spots on the dorsal fin base. It is also known as the Indian toby.
Quite common in tropical waters.
East Africa, the Indian Ocean to Micronesia, Southwest Japan to Queensland. It has been replaced by Canthigaster margaritata in the Red Sea. Found in sheltered rocky reefs, lagoons and seaward reefs. Occur over open barren areas, also among corals and under ledges, in a depth range of 1-50 meters.
Monogamous species.
Up to 11cm.
It feeds mainly on filamentous red and green algae and coralline red algae but also on corals, tunicates, mollusks, echinoderms, polychaetes, crustaceans and bryozoans.
It has been suggested that Canthigaster solandri should be divided into 2 (sub)species, one in East Africa and the Indian Ocean (Canthigaster peters) and one in the (Indo) Pacific (Canthigaster solandri). This view however has net yet been accepted by everyone, which proves how difficult identifying this genus can be.
