Tetraodon Pustulatus(Cross River Puffer).. Price Tag?

[groovitudedude]

Looks like all the pics I've seen...

[Buddha]

So my next question is.... 500 to much for this guy?? I am teatering on getting him... A few more Yes Thats a Cross River's will probably seal the deal!

[jimi]

it looks like a cross river to me

[cobra1713]

i'm no expert but it would sure fool me if it's not. id think it is. and i think 500 is a good price isnt it? i thaught they were alot more than that.

[CoreyK]

If it were me I'd shoot an email or message to Corvus.
I'm sure you already know this may be the case but IMO even if it is a T. pustulatus it is simply a Fahaka with slightly different markings...

[grubbster]

Yep, looks the same as the 2 I saw in the UK and certainly not a Fahaka

[Pufferpunk]

If I had the room & the $500 to spare, I'd definately get it!

[Myaj]

Before spending the $$ I'd agree to send a PM to Corvus and have him check the species.

It is beautiful, that's for sure!

[Corvus]

I think it is one of these:

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=6986&p=71493&hilit= ... tus#p71493
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forum ... 15&page=13

Spotted when young, but developing lines with years. Most would have IDd the young linked to above as a pustulatus because they exclusively have red spots, but the old one as T. lineatus (fahaka), because of the lines. However following the report linked to above they all developed the lines. Look closely at their faces (snout body angle and length relation), they also appear to change from short to a little longer.

In addition, even spotted and striped fish from Mamfe (type locality) are seen by many hobbyists as lineatus (IDs by ichthyologists as pustulatus are in aqualog page 41 upper two pictures, also see very similar ones at http://www.fishbase.org/Photos/Thumbnai ... hp?ID=5142). Two closely related fish hard to differentiate in the same part of this river... I don't know...

I can only see two probable options:
1: All the reddish fish from Mamfe are pustulatus, some/all older adults have lines. Differentiation is possible by other characters than just points vs. stripes.

2: pustulatus is a regional variation of lineatus.

Buddha, this 6" specimen's body shape appears to be totally in line with T. lineatus. The coloration is different from typical T. lineatus at this size (e.g. aqualog p. 35 or pufferpedia, and you have your own fahaka for comparison), but it is possible this specimen will develop lines, there appears to be a line forming between the pectoral and the dorsal fin already. It is well possible this specimen is a "cross river puffer", but it still is unclear if the Cross river puffers is a seperate species or "just" a regional color variant of T. lineatus.

Anyway, even if they are a color variant, they appear to be rarer than the common T. lineatus, so will cost more.500 dollar, 300 pounds or 400 Euros are typical prices, even if sometimes much cheaper ones appear that look practicallly the same, but were IDd as Fahaka.

[Jupp]

Hallo Corvus ,
the never ending story...
KÖLLE alaaf !!!

[jimi]

longest maybe ever

[Pufferpunk]

Either way, it is a gorgeous fish, will retain the red (whether some turn into stripes) & it is totally up to you whether that coloration is worth $500.

[pufferfreak]

Its such a nice puffer though.

[jimi]

it realy is i would buy one if it was slightly less then 500 (because less face it my car was worth less then that )

[crazedpuffer]

I'm not sure it's a pustulatus, looks more like fahakulatus to me. How big is it again?