New Puffer ID

[SalmonAfrica]

Hey everyone, it's been a while since I last visited.

Anyway, I recently aquired this new puffer - it's from the East coast of South Africa, found in shallow marine water (SG 1.020) of roughly 1-2 meters depth.

Hopefully the pictures are clear enough for an easy identification. Right now he (she?) is greedily feeding on thawed prawn and shrimp, and is quite active.



Well, most of the time. He seems to like burying himself every now and again with just his eyes protruding from the substrate.

Does anybody know the latin name of this fella?


Many thanks
SA

[Pufferpunk]

Looks like you have a pretty rare fellow there! At least rare here in the States. Where are you located?

As I look in Dr Ebert's book, it looks to look most like the Torquigener perlevis. I'm going to send a PM to Corvus, our resident puffer ID expert.

[Corvus]

Looks like a Amblyrhynchotes honckenii, in South Africa called Evileye blaasop
Very, very poisonous.

http://www.fishbase.org/Photos/Pictures ... at=species

[Pufferpunk]

I like that: "Evileye", very poisonous!

[Flutter]

Wow! It's gorgeous.

[SalmonAfrica]

Wow! Thanks guys for that speedy reply!

I've looked at Amblyrhynchotes honckenii in the book I often use as a reference for local fish - it looks very similar to what you've said Corvus, however, according to the book, the dorsal fish of the Blaasop isn't see-through like it is with my fish, and the darker back of the fish is separated from the lighter belly by a yellow line.

However, the book also says that A. honckenii is currently under debate as to what species it is, and whether it may be several species or possibly subspecies.

With regards to the poison, is this a bad thing as far as my setup goes? He is currently housed with some young groupers (Epinecephalus sp.) which haven't bothered him thus far. Should he be housed in his own setup?

Thanks in advance

[Pufferpunk]

Could you please fill out your location in your Profile?

[dmond31]

he is a cool looking little guy is he pretty common in your location

[Troender]

Looks like a Amblyrhynchotes honckenii, in South Africa called Evileye blaasop

I can add that blaasop is an old Norwegian or Danish word, and means blow up (not blowup ).

[Corvus]

I've looked at Amblyrhynchotes honckenii in the book I often use as a reference for local fish - it looks very similar to what you've said Corvus, however,

Which book? Let me guess:" A guide to the common sea fishes of southern Africa" by Van der Elst?

according to the book, the dorsal fish of the Blaasop isn't see-through like it is with my fish, and the darker back of the fish is separated from the lighter belly by a yellow line.

This yellow line is very faint, you can assume it on your specimen, too, it might get darker when it gets older/mating season. The dorsal can be faint or slightly colored in adults. The anal can also be yellow on breeding females or see-through. Compare to the picture IDd by Randall above. The picture shown in Van der Elst is not very good in my opinion.

However, the book also says that A. honckenii is currently under debate as to what species it is, and whether it may be several species or possibly subspecies.

Van der Elst more exactly says that it is sometimes confused with C. patoca, a fish with a more unclear ID (p. 376). Your specimen is certainly no Chelonodon, but with a very high probability Amblyrhynchotes honckenii, a quite common fish in some areas of South Africa. It can also be confused with Tylerius spinosissimus (now Amblyrhynchotes spinosissimus), but there are several characters of this species your specimen does not show.

With regards to the poison, is this a bad thing as far as my setup goes? He is currently housed with some young groupers (Epinecephalus sp.) which haven't bothered him thus far. Should he be housed in his own setup?

Preferably yes. I don't not know how big the danger truely is or if the reports on its high toxicity are exaggerated, but I would not want to find out at home. It was even commonly used to get rid of cats in South Africa.

[Corvus]

I can add that blaasop is an old Norwegian or Danish word, and means blow up (not blowup ).

Although this word exists in Scandinavia, too, it origins from Dutch sailors as far as I know.

[Pufferpunk]

It was even commonly used to get rid of cats in South Africa.

I gotta ask... ???

[Corvus]

Well, dead blaasops were left lying around to end nocturnal disturbances by mating cats (who ate the free fish and died).

[Corvus]

PS: This was (and still is) done in other subtropical - tropical countries, too.

[SalmonAfrica]

Thanks Corvus. Know I know who to turn to for puffer ID. I'm surprised that you have a copy of van der Elst's book (I assume). It is very useful, however, sometimes quite miskeading with species ID, where I believe the speimens photographed are dead specimens.

And blaasop is a word of Afrikaans origin (a local language) and means, like said above, 'blow up', in reference a puffer's inflating. Afrikaans is very, very similar to Dutch.