Juvenile fish
"Arothron reticularis" is found in the tropical western Indo-Pacific, its range extending from the east coast of India to southern Japan, south to Australia and east to Samoa. It occurs in the sea and in estuaries and brackish water at depths down to about . Suitable habitats include coral reefs near to areas with sand and seaweed, sandy areas, seagrass meadows, and mangrove areas. Juvenile fish are often found among mangroves and sometimes enter the lower parts of streams.