ID on this one

[Troender]

A friend of mine took a pic of a large puffer recently, and we wonder what puffer it is. It's very ill, and it makes me sad to see. I am not sure if this pic was taken in the ocean, or an aquarium they visited in Egypt. I have my guesses on the species, but I am very uncertain on my ID, so I ask you:

[Troender]

Here's the head of the fish.

[FADE2BLACK_1973]

D. hystrix.

Looks it to me.

[Arny]

I think this is the kind of porcy that grows to 3ft

[FADE2BLACK_1973]

I bet money it has to be a very sick Diodon hystrix.

[FADE2BLACK_1973]

I think this is the kind of porcy that grows to 3ft

Arny, you are right. It is a porcupine (Diodon hystrix). The one in the pic troender posted looks sick and stressed with the much darker color.


http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:T ... justed.jpg

[Corvus]

I agree.

[Pufferpunk]

Not much life left in that one.

[Troender]

Thanks! This specimen was about 50 cm long (20'').
Yes, it's not a pretty sight, when they are so ill. Poor thing. They had another one too, which didn't have that white on the fins. It had IPs too, but not as bad as this one.

[FADE2BLACK_1973]

They need to be treatin these porcupines.