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- Size: Considerably larger than the Papuan toby, growing up to 33 cm (13 inches) in length.
- The “Dog Face” Look: It gets its nickname from its distinct snout, dark patches around the eyes, and prominent mouth structure that closely resembles a small dog.
- Color Variations (Color Morphs): This species is highly variable. While most individuals are grey, bluish-grey, or light brown with scattered black spots, rare and highly prized bright yellow or golden variants (often called the “Yellow Phase”) also exist.
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- Natural Range: Widespread throughout the tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific, from East Africa to Micronesia and Samoa, and north to Japan.
- Environment: They live in coastal reefs, lagoons, and outer reef slopes rich in invertebrate growth, usually at shallow depths between 3 and 25 meters. They are solitary and territorial creatures.
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- Tank Requirements: Due to its large size and heavy bioload, it requires a spacious aquarium of at least 380 to 500 liters (100–135 gallons) with powerful filtration and skimming.
- Diet: A predatory omnivore. Its diet must consist of fleshy, hard-shelled foods such as whole shrimp, crabs, clams, squid, and krill to wear down its heavy, beak-like dental plates.
- Reef Safety: Completely unsafe for reef aquariums. It will rapidly consume decorative invertebrates (snails, crabs, shrimps) and will bite or destroy both hard and soft corals.
- Defense & Toxins: Like the Canthigaster species, its skin and internal organs contain tetrodotoxin, a deadly neurotoxin. It can expand its body by swallowing water when threatened—and just like the Papuan toby, it must never be lifted out of the water to prevent it from inflating with air.

