Valentine Puffer (Canthigaster valentini)

The Valentine Puffer's dark saddle-shaped patches are distinctive enough that an entirely different fish — the mimic filefish — evolved to copy them, borrowing the puffer's toxic reputation without carrying any of the actual toxin itself, a textbook case of Batesian mimicry playing out on the reef. Small, personable, and endlessly curious about anything happening outside the glass, it's one of the more manageable puffers for a modest fish-only setup. Still grows a permanently sharp beak, so shell-on foods stay on the menu for life.

Care level: Moderate · Temperament: Semi-aggressive · Max size: ~5" · Min tank: 30 gal · Diet: Carnivore, shell-on foods for teeth + meaty foods