"Super Rare" Leopard Toby Puffer Fish Spotted Near Australia

A "super rare" creature that roams in the depths of ocean has been spotted off the coast of Australia. The small white fish with leopard-like spots came into the view of a deep-sea diver who was swimming in the Coral Sea Marine Park. The beautiful photo of the Leopard Toby Puffer has been shared by Master Reef Guides, an organisation affiliated with the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. In an Instagram post, the organisation said the diver so far made 1,100 dives, but never saw a fish like this.

"Once back on the boat Catherine and Michelle headed to the books, consulted with other experts and discovered this Leopard Toby might be the first recorded sighting in the Coral Sea," Master Reef Guides further said on Instagram.

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A post shared by Master Reef Guides - Great Barrier Reef 🪸 (@masterreefguides)

It explained that the Leopard Toby is usually found in the waters of the Philippines, Indonesia, Guam and Micronesia, no but this is the first time it has been spotted in Australia.

"It's not every day you see an animal so out of the ordinary that you pause on your dive. The ocean has the power to surprise us every day, it's full of wonderful animals we have yet to discover. It's an environment that I am lucky to spend my time in getting these little surprises" the diver Catherine Logan said.

What is a Leopard Toby Puffer?

According to Rock N Critters, it is a deep water reef species that is relatively new to the aquarium trade. The fish has both stripes on its anterior and spots along its sides, with touches of iridescent blue highlighting the eyes and tail.

Members of the Canthigaster genus are called Sharp-nosed Puffers or Tobies. It lacks pelvic fins, but has learned to use the pectoral fins to move about the aquarium.

The Leopard Toby Puffer eats a variety of food, including squid, krill, clams, and hard shelled shrimp to help wear down their ever-growing teeth, said Rock N Critters.