This puffer occurs in two color phases: black with white spots, and golden yellow. The two sets of common names refer to these different appearances. In Spanish they are known as Botete Negro and Botete de Oro. As with all pufferfish, they have the ability to take water into their stomach to swell themselves up, making it harder for a predator to fit them in its mouth. The diet of this species mainly consists of corals and small invertebrates.