This large pufferfish species is known from lagoons, coastal bays, and inner reef flats where there are sandy stretches with rubble and sparse seagrass, at depths of between 3 and 50 metres. hey typically feed on various types of algae (including coralline), mollusks, crabs, tunicates, sponges, corals, zoanthids, tube worms, and echinoderms; feeding on hard prey keeps the beak from overgrowing.