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FAQs about all Puffer Identification
Related Articles: Puffers in General,
Puffer
Care and Information,
True
(Tetraodont) Puffers, Freshwater
Puffers, Burrfishes/Porcupinefishes, Tobies/Sharpnose
Puffers, Boxfishes,
(Big) Pufferfish
Dentistry By Kelly
Jedlicki and Anthony Calfo,
Small Puffer Dentistry
By Jeni Tyrell (aka Pufferpunk),
Puffer
Care and Information
by John (Magnus) Champlin,
Things That My Puffers Have Told Me by Justin Petrey,
Related FAQs: Puffers in General 1, Puffer
Behavior, Puffer
Compatibility, Puffer
Selection, Puffer Systems, Puffer
Feeding, Puffer Disease,
Puffer Dentistry,
Puffer
Reproduction, True
(Tetraodont) Puffers, Freshwater
Puffers, Green Spotted
Puffers, Burrfishes/Porcupinefishes, Tobies/Sharpnose
Puffers, Boxfishes,
Can you identify this male boxfish in three notes?
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Large puffer identification on the fly 5/12/08
Hello Crew,
Marina here, former crewmember and long-time admirer emailing you from Santa
Rita, Guam with a question on a fish identification.
<Hey Marina, great to hear from ya, it's Jeni/Pufferpunk here. (Who else?) I'm
sooooo jealous--you're diving in Guam!!!>
Diving yesterday in the only harbor (we're on the Naval base) off of San Luis
beach, wall dive, we come across two MASSIVE puffers hiding in a crack, not too
far from shore at all at about a 3 meter depth. I have been searching the net
and fishbase.org, to no avail. We tried to photograph these puppies but our
inexpensive camera can only do so much and the turbidity didn't help. I have
finally been able to find ONE photo of what appears to be the same beast. Let me
tell you, these fish were sizable, as puffers go, I would have to guess at just
under 1 meter in size.
Here is the link to the single photo I've found (I assume no unauthorized
reproductions, although this photo was taken in Tuman's Underwater World
Aquarium).
<Darn, there's no link.>
I believe it may be of the genus Arothron but of course can't be sure. Any help
is appreciated, no hurry as I certainly know what you all have to deal with on a
regular basis.
<My 1st guess would be the Arothron stellatus, which is the largest puffer I'm
aware of, topping off at a whopping 47".
See:
http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/ug.php/v/PufferPedia/Marine/A_Stellatus/
Let me know if that's the fella. ~PP>
Cheers!
Marina (now the Dobbie, formerly the Harding)
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Re: Puffer <ID> and Brackish Tank <env.>
query 7/12/07
Hi guys
Its me again.
<Hello.>
I purchased this puffer today. And I need to ID the new puffer. It was sold as a
marine puffer. The LFS was not able to tell me what type of puffer fish it is.
All he could tell me was that he lived in salt water.
<Statistically a fairly safe bet! About 2/3rds of the family Tetraodontidae are
either exclusively or mostly marine.>
A few questions:
1) What puffer do I have? Is it a Chelonodon Patoca? Takifugu?
<Doesn't look like C. patoca to me. That species has milky-white spots on
alternating mid-brown and silvery transverse bands. It doesn't look like any of
the brackish water Takifugu spp. that I've seen traded. So I'd tend to go with
what your retailer said, and assume it's a "marine puffer" of some kind. Which
one, not sure. There are numerous look-alike species in the family, so
identifying them can be tricky. A little time at Fishbase might help, especially
if you can narrow down the list by establishing where it came from... Southeast
Asia, China, etc. Counting the number of rays in the dorsal and anal fins will
help. See here: http://filaman.ifm-geomar.de/identification/specieslist.cfm?famcode=448&areacode=
. For what it's worth, it doesn't look like an Arothron puffer to me, the head's
wrong, and I'd tend towards either a Takifugu or Torquigener species.>
2) Can this puffer thrive in brackish water? mid to high end brackish?
<Assume not, until you know better. While it is true that very many marine
puffers routinely enter brackish water for periods of time, in many cases these
jaunts are limited to hunting excursions or spawning events. It's a whole other
issue to maintain such a fish at SG 1.010 permanently. While SG 1.018 is
probably safe, just as it with many other marine fish, anything less than that
should be undertaken only with care, and while observing the puffer for signs of
distress or loss of appetite.>
3) Maximum length it grows too?
<Without a name, who knows! But something in the 20-40 cm bracket is typical.>
4) Any other unique behaviours that may require special treatment.
<You number-1 issue is to try and establish if this is a temperate zone,
subtropical, or tropical species. Many of the Takifugu in the trade are
subtropical fish and don't last long in warm water. In the meantime, I'd be
tempted to keep this fish at a low-ish temperature for the time being, say,
22-24 C rather than anything higher. This would be safe for tropicals while not
too stressful for subtropicals. Other than this, you can probably treat this
fish as any other marine puffer.>
Thank you guys once again.
<Sorry couldn't be more helpful. Nice fish though! Neale.>
Re: Puffer ID Follow Up - 7/12/07
7/13/07
Hi guys. Just a short note on the puffer from yesterday's dailies. This
likely is Tetractenos hamiltoni also called the common toad fish, another
Australian species, which appeared in trade this year. It's marine, but enters
estuaries. Very toxic if consumed, even compared to other puffers. They like to
bury themselves in sandy substrate and live in groups. See e.g.
http://www.amonline.net.au/FISHES/fishfacts/fish/thamiltoni.htm and fishbase.org
re. Cheers, Marco.
<Hello Marco. Thanks so much! Not a species I have ever seen in the trade in the
UK (yet). Sounds an interesting species. I like the idea of a schooling species
that stays relatively small. Let's hope this species turns out to be amenable to
aquarium life. I note from Fishbase that its a subtropical species, so by
analogy with the also subtropical Takifugu ocellatus I'd have to assume that it
requires slightly below tropical temperatures, around the 18-20C mark. Correct?
As for salinity, these estuarine puffers seem to be very tolerant, so by analogy
with Arothron hispidus we can probably assume anything from 1.012 upwards should
work well. At the very least, it sounds like a species worth experimenting with
in the high-end brackish community, provided you had a marine tank you could
move it to if things didn't work out. Cheers, Neale.>
Puffer ID Follow Up - 7/12/07
Temperature for Tetractenos hamiltoni 07/14/07
Hi guys. Just a short note on the puffer from yesterday's dailies. This
likely is Tetractenos hamiltoni also called the common toad fish, another
Australian species, which appeared in trade this year. It's marine, but enters
estuaries. Very toxic if consumed, even compared to other puffers. They like to
bury themselves in sandy substrate and live in groups. See e.g.
http://www.amonline.net.au/FISHES/fishfacts/fish/thamiltoni.htm and fishbase.org
re. Cheers, Marco.
<Hello Marco. Thanks so much! Not a species I have ever seen in the trade in the
UK (yet). Sounds an interesting species. I like the idea of a schooling species
that stays relatively small. Let's hope this species turns out to be amenable to
aquarium life. I note from Fishbase that its a subtropical species, so by
analogy with the also subtropical Takifugu ocellatus I'd have to assume that it
requires slightly below tropical temperatures, around the 18-20C mark. Correct?
<<Yes, that is exactly what the temperatures are in the natural habitats (East
coast: New South Wales and Queensland; see
http://www.amonline.net.au/FISHES/fishfacts/fish/thamiltoni.htm and click on the
underlined word “map”) in winter following
http://www.marine.csiro.au/~lband/web_point/ . In summer, it may be slightly
warmer, though, at least in the coastal and estuarine waters.>>
As for salinity, these estuarine puffers seem to be very tolerant, so by analogy
with Arothron hispidus we can probably assume anything from 1.012 upwards should
work well. At the very least, it sounds like a species worth experimenting with
in the high-end brackish community, provided you had a marine tank you could
move it to if things didn't work out. Cheers, Neale.>
<<I am not sure if they can be kept in a community. Although they live in
groups, it is known they attack and kill other fishes of similar size when they
are trapped in tidal pools and cannot flee, a condition quite similar to an
aquarium. I hope the keeper of this puffer reads our discussion. Cheers,
Marco.>>
Re: Puffer ID Follow Up - 7/12/07
7/15/07
I am not sure if they can be kept in a community. Although they live in
groups, it is known they attack and kill other fishes of similar size when they
are trapped in tidal pools and cannot flee, a condition quite similar to an
aquarium. I hope the keeper of this puffer reads our discussion. Cheers, Marco.
<Marco -- Yet another single species aquarium pufferfish! Too bad. I agree, I do
hope our questioner is reading all of this. Cheers, Neale> |
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Puffer ID - 01/12/2006
I live on Long Island, and when I was young, many people, including myself,
used to catch what we called, "Blow fish." People called them that for obvious
reasons, but not their proper name. They are rarely seen as they use to be for
many years now. I don't know why, except that I suspect pollution had a great
deal to do with it. These fish were caught on the "Great South Bay." The bay is
brackish water. Would you happen to know what species this is? They are still
seen from time to time. <<Without a picture or detailed description it isn't
possible to make a definitive ID, but I do suspect this to be Sphoeroides
maculatus, the "northern puffer", as it is common in these waters. I refer you
to this page for reading, regarding Great South Bay:
http://training.fws.gov/library/pubs5/web_link/text/gsb_form.htm. A Google
search of Sphoeroides maculatus will provide pictures for your reference.>>
Thank you,
Eddie V.
<<You're quite welcome, glad to help. Lisa>>
Puffer I.D. 7/24/05
Hello there and good evening!
<Greeting Manuel, Ali here...>
I was wondering if you could please help me identify this pufferfish? It was
sold to me as a dogface puffer which I suppose it technically is, but it looks
to me to be a cross of a white spot puffer and a pinstripe puffer (you can't see
the bottom of the fish too well in the photo, but it is striped exactly like a
pinstripe). I have a real good feeling that I'm wrong about
this, which is why I am asking for your help. :)
<You have a juvi. A. hispidus puffer. He will get BIG, prepare to provide him
with a very large aquarium. See here for more info:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/tetraodontpuffers.htm >
Thanks for your time and kindness,
Manuel
<Always welcome, rest easy - Ali>
Puffer ID and Compatibility (8/13/04)
Hi <Hello there>
I was hoping you can clear something up for me.
< Sure I can try >
I recently bought a second hand tank which came with two fish. It was bought to
go with my Porcupine Puffer. I thought the fish .....a puffer and lion would go
well. I was told the puffer was a dogface however when we went to collect the
tank the puffer had not been well and was very dark
<These fish do have the ability to darken which serves as camouflage, usually
occurring in the evening, when stressed or threatened. >
now she is better and I have been trying to find out what she is as she isn't a
dogface. I think she might be a Stars and Stripes. Can you please let me know
from these links what you think.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v366/snoopy_145/fc604c3d.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v366/snoopy_145/lola2.jpg
<Well I think you have a Arothron reticular is, the Reticulated Puffer, from the
Indo-west Pacific. They get to be about 16 inches in length in the wild. >
And from your experience how big she will get and their temperament.
< I personally do not have any experience with this particular Puffer but my
guess would be they would get at least a good 8 to 10 inches in captivity,
perhaps a bit bigger, depending on what and how often they are fed. The
Arothron genus for the most part has nothing but exemplary personalities. >
They fought for 1st hour they where together but now seem to have come to an
agreement.
<Not uncommon. You will find mixed experiences if you read about keeping more
than one Puffer in the same system.......some have great luck others do not. In
part this will have to do with whether you are keeping the same, similar or
different species as well as the temperaments of the individual fish. Keep a
close eye on them and if the aggression continues you can rearrange the decor
and if that does not work remove the aggressor to a quarantine tank for a few
days, sometimes that settles them down a bit. They may continue to squabble at
meal time so be sure to provide plenty of food and if this does occur I have
found releasing food into different areas of the tank, when the fish are not to
close together sometimes helps. >
Thanks A Lot, Shelley
<Your most welcome, Leslie>
"Little" puffer?
Hello-
<Hi! Ananda here today>
I'm afraid that my recently purchased puffer may be too small, what is too small?
<That depends on the species.>
He is maybe about 5" long.
<Big guy, then, compared to the 1/2" dwarf puffers from one recent email -- but far smaller than the 3' puffer from another email!>
They didn't have the name of what he was listed but the guy at the fish store told me he was a Narrow line.
<Is this your
guy? If so, he'll get to be about a foot long, so I think 5" is probably a good size to get -- it will be easier to train him to dead foods.>
I'm wondering if or when I can feed him other foods like snails (if so what kind) or other things. (if so what and when) Right now I am feeding him frozen shrimp. He seems to like it.
<Yay! If he'll eat frozen shrimp already, you'll have a much easier time feeding him.
Much, much more info on feeding puffers in the FAQs, starting with http://www.wetwebmedia.com/pufferfdgfaqs.htm and continuing with
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/pufferfdgfaq2.htm and the other links in blue text at the top of those pages.>
Please help-
<Enjoy your new puffer. --Ananda>
Puffer I.D
Hi,
Could you please help me identify the puffer in
the attached photo, he was purchased as a stars and stripes but looks more
like a the pictures of a reticulated puffers I've seen.
Thank you.
<It looks like a Arothron manilensis. Please see here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/tetraodontpuffers.htm...
though it might be A. reticulatus...>
Bob Fenner> |
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Re: puffer I.D
I realize I'm the one asking you, but I don't see it, from the photo's
I've
seen of the puffer you refer to it seems to be a somewhat slender, more
graceful looking fish where as the puffer I have is more of a blunt headed
brute, is there anything else you think he may be??
<No. Bob Fenner> |
Pufferfish ID
When I bought my dogface puffer, I thought he was a dog face, then I thought
he was a white spotted, then someone told me he was a toadfish...then I thought
he was a stars and stripes puffer....now I have no clue, can you please help me
out.
<You puffer is a Reticulated Pufferfish (Arothron reticularis). It
can grow to 16" in the wild. It lives in sea-grass beds;
juveniles enter mangrove zones & river mouths. It is sometimes
found in brackish or even freshwater. If kept in FW it is often dirty
grey in color & generally less active than individuals kept in BW - or
better still, marine - aquarium. The attractive contrasting
reticulated pattern, to which the species owes it's name, appears only when
these fish are kept in water containing salt.
These fish are not choosy as regards to food, but mussel meat is preferred. I
buy most of my puffer food at the grocery store fish department. I
freeze it & thaw in warm water before feeding. As with all
puffers, they need to eat hard-shelled foods to keep their "beaks"
trimmed. Clams, oysters, mussels, crayfish, crab legs, squid, scallops,
krill, etc. are all enjoyed by my puffers.
These puffers have a high degree of intraspecific aggression. If
several specimens of this species are kept together then there is constant
chasing & biting such that it becomes necessary to separate them. It
is, however, possible to keep them with other species of puffer.
The reticulated puffer is a serious predator, so please keep this in mind when
housing this species with other fish.>
Here are some pictures of him so you can get a better understanding.
<Thank you for sending photos. It is much more help than just a
description.>
http://www.geocities.com/wazuph2o/fish.html
Thanks a bunch
<You're very welcome. Pufferpunk>
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