What kind of fish did I see in waters off a tropical island in the Philippines?
This is a Blackspotted puffer, Arothron nigropunctatus a commonly found fish on coral reefs in the Philippines. Although this species has a large color variation, the photos provided show common coloration (white body with black spots, a large black area around the dorsal ray). The white strip above the mouth is also a commonly found characteristic of this species, along with a face and snout that resembles a dog.


CC- Attribution - Photo by John E. Randall