Beautiful suvatti at my LFS - and a question!

[LilGreenPuffer]

Well, I went back to the LFS that I hate, looking for a cover for my tank, and I had forgotten just how much I liked the owner. This time, I saw a GORGEOUS puffer in a SW tank with a dogface puffer that I was sure was a juvie suvatti. It was just labelled "Puffer - 49.99." I asked Andre what he knew about it, and he said he knew absolutely nothing. I told him I'd get him an ID, and I did, and I think I was right - suvatti, 4in - and called and told him. He was extremely receptive to everything I had to say this time, and said that everything I described matched his behavior (he had already tried to maul the poor dogface). He's switching him right over into his own freshwater tank, and wrote down everything I told him about tank size, behavior, scientific name, everything - and he's joining TPF tonight! Triumph!

The previous owner hadn't known squat about his fish, either, and had raised him in SW. Is this possible? I just didn't see anything remotely like this fish in the marine section, and he was a dead ringer for a suvatti.

[Bogwoodbruce]

Fish can be acclimatised to salt, well puffers are still secondary marine fish along with rays and a few other species.

[marksrush]

Wow - a suvatti in marine conditions. Yay! for one more LFS that doesn't know what the heck they're doing.

[Pufferpunk]

I'm shocked that poor fish didn't die of osmotic shock!

[Dadof4]

These guys come from the Mekong delta area, one huge area....I wonder if there are SW swells that come up river certain times of year and they are able to handle the SW?

[Bogwoodbruce]

Freshwater fish do move into marine conditions as do marines moving into fresh, porcupine puffers have been found in full fresh in peru and thriving

[marksrush]

Freshwater fish do move into marine conditions as do marines moving into fresh, porcupine puffers have been found in full fresh in peru and thriving

That's probably too much of a blanket statement to be true, don't you think? I can't imagine a picasso trigger being found far up a river into fresh water, and I can't imagine a school of neons enjoying a nice long bath in full marine conditions. I don't think it would be true even if you were only referring to puffers.

[Bogwoodbruce]

Freshwater fish do move into marine conditions as do marines moving into fresh, porcupine puffers have been found in full fresh in peru and thriving

That's probably too much of a blanket statement to be true, don't you think? I can't imagine a picasso trigger being found far up a river into fresh water, and I can't imagine a school of neons enjoying a nice long bath in full marine conditions. I don't think it would be true even if you were only referring to puffers.

I was keeping that to puffers to be honest, although some parts of the amazon are high end brackish and marine,,,, if the fish was in there at an LFS the chances are it was only tempary anyways, so wouldnt have really caused too much of a problem.

[Nick]

Most puffers, I think, tend to be on the salt-tolerant side - evolutionarily speaking, the freshwater species are VERY new, F8's are freshwater for the most part in the wild, but I had them at full marine for several months without seeing any stressed behavior.

[LilGreenPuffer]

Freshwater fish do move into marine conditions as do marines moving into fresh, porcupine puffers have been found in full fresh in peru and thriving

That's probably too much of a blanket statement to be true, don't you think? I can't imagine a picasso trigger being found far up a river into fresh water, and I can't imagine a school of neons enjoying a nice long bath in full marine conditions. I don't think it would be true even if you were only referring to puffers.

I was keeping that to puffers to be honest, although some parts of the amazon are high end brackish and marine,,,, if the fish was in there at an LFS the chances are it was only tempary anyways, so wouldnt have really caused too much of a problem.

Wasn't temporary, actually. The previous owner had raised it in SW.

I did make sure that Andre knew I wasn't totally sure about the ID, and I told him to check with the PufferPedia and/or post a picture for some help, so if it really is SW, hopefully he'll catch that.

[LilGreenPuffer]

I'm about 98% sure that it's an abei now. Oh, well. The care requirements are similar. I'll let him know next time I'm there.