[4] The threetooth puffer was first scientifically described by René Lesson in 1831 and is recognizable for its large belly flap which has the ability to blend into the body when fully retracted.

[2][3] The threetooth puffer was first formally described in 1829 by the French naturalist René Lesson with its type locality given as Mauritius.

[3] The threetooth puffer is native to the Indo-Pacific, where it is found mainly around Australia and off the coast of Asia at depths from 30–300 m (98–984 ft).

However, a dissection of the stomach of a caught juvenile specimen uncovered traces of mysid crustacean, foraminifera, echinoids, and sponges.

[3] The flap is inflated by rotating the shaft-like pelvis downwards, exposing a black eye-spot contoured with yellow.

[13]The smallest Triodon macropterus specimen on record measures 20mm long and belongs to the ichthyological section of the Muséum Nationale d'Histoire Naturelle in Paris.