Masked Puffer

Photo: Günther Indra · CC BY-NC

The masked puffer is an Eilat speciality — endemic to the northern Red Sea, it is found almost nowhere else accessible to recreational divers. These solitary fish graze on hard coral polyps and encrusting organisms, their fused beak-like teeth leaving characteristic scrape marks on coral surfaces that can be tracked to individual territories over time. Their inflatable defence mechanism and distinctive black mask pattern make them an iconic subject for underwater photographers visiting Eilat specifically for endemic species.