Wild puffers!

[saffib]

Hi all,
We're in Brisbane in Australia& were just walking down the beach when we found a SCHOOL of puffers in the tidal pools!
We've managed to catch two just to try and get a pic for ID.. keeping them in seawater with shells to hide, hermits in case they get peckish and in a big bowl (just so noone flames for catching them.. and they will get released when we've had a good look!)

Anyhoo.. the closest I can find in the Pufferpedia is Takifugu pardalis, but these are in Australia, not Japan!

Thought it was fascinating tht they are most definitely schooling and hunting in a group. Saw them catch a fish, and they are living in hot tidal pools where it's been raining, so SG can't be very high! Will post a pic when we can..

[Phaedrus]

Very interesting. Australia and South East Asia aren't that far off from one another.

I look forward to seeing some pics.

[Nick]

A schooling pufferfish other than a SAP would be really exciting

[saffib]

OK... sorry it's taken me so long.. the internet here is VERY frustrating!
We realesed the puffers we caught back into their family group last night.

Today when we went on the beach again there was a school of at least 200 of them, all shapes and sizes, working together to bring down a HUGE crab! It was incredible.

The pool that they were in today reached about 32degrees in the sun and had a freshwater storm drain flowing into it!

Here they finally are..


And part of the group..




The larger spots on the side were really distinctive, also they have a flat, white belly and bright orange eyes (not red, like the pics make out)

Thoughts?!

[kass]

Pics dont work
Must have been awsome to watch them take down the crab as a group!

[manutius]

Hi there, I'm having trouble with the pics too. Try posting the links

This sounds really interesting I would love to see that happening

[saffib]

Very strange! Does this work?

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c129/ ... CF5780.jpg

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c129/ ... G_8742.jpg

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c129/ ... G_8733.jpg

If not go to my album on photobucket: http://s26.photobucket.com/albums/c129/ ... nd%20Pets/
and to the "Puffers and pets section"

[saffib]

They are so cool... two tides a day and the water rises to about 2metres on the front, but on the low tide, the puffers are back again in the pools left over.

They were picking the legs off the crab from the back.. crabs about 3/4 times their size were swimming away from them desperately!

Most of them are about 1-2inches; biggest about 5inches. There seem to be 2/3 large (over 2 inch) puffers in each group with at least 30 smaller ones.

[manutius]

That is stunning and great pictures Now to work out what typ of puffer they are, Hmmmm. I'm off to the puffer pedia

[manutius]

I can't sem to match them to any of the puffers in the pufferpedia but the closest match are the T. abei as far as I can tell. They sure are pretty though

[Corvus]

What comes into mind first: wow!

second: My guess: Tetractenos glaber, no pardalis

[Corvus]

http://www.amonline.net.au/fishes/fishf ... laber2.htm

Second guess could be:

Tetractenos hamiltoni

http://www.amonline.net.au/FISHES/fishf ... ltoni4.htm

[manutius]

Good shout there corvus, I think its much close to the T. Hamiltoni

[Corvus]

Good shout there corvus, I think its much close to the T. Hamiltoni

Having looked at more pictures, you are probably right.
The distinctive feature aside the size of the spots is how the spines are arranged. glaber is quite smooth and hamiltoni has prickles. And following literature they are actually reported to be schooling.

saffib will know best which of the two they are, they saw more of them.

[saffib]

http://www.amonline.net.au/FISHES/fishf ... iltoni.htm

genius!so not entirely puffer..