The Puffer Forum

In my opinion clearly a T. biocellatus, not a separate species, because there are no distinct characters justifying a definition as a separate species, at least none that I'm aware of. In some shipments you get some to quite a lot with this kind of a labyrinth ornament. You also get many in between ones. For more and better pictures see p. 50 to 53 in the puffer aqualog (page numbers in the German edition). If I'm not wrong this variability in the coloration was also included in very early descriptions of this species. In fact, sometimes they occur more or equally common as the ones with an immaculate 8.

T. steindachneri is one obsolete synonym of several and should not be used.

On better pictures or with the fishes in front of you, it is also very clear that they have very different nostrils than Monotrete spp., which is a very important character on the genus level.

As a side note: these transitions from clear line or spot ornaments to a labyrinth like colorations are not completely uncommon within fishes. There are also some morays showing a comparable variability within coloration like this puffer species, such as G. meleagris and G. miliaris with sometimes occuring labyrinth ornaments often puzzling people IDing them.

PS:

Almost forgot: Another puffer showing similar aberrations in coloration is Takifugu ocellatus. You'll find mostly specimens with the standard coloration, but also some with a very irregular almost labyrinth like coloration to some degree despite showing all other characters of T. ocellatus (and again there are many in between forms). Probably a very similar genetic effect than the one on T. biocellatus.

Here's a irregular T. ocellatus: http://www.aqnautic.com/uploadfile/prod ... 220353.jpg

And two somewhat irregular T. biocellatus (the species discussed in this thread):

http://media.photobucket.com/image/tetr ... llatus.jpg

http://www.akvariefisk.dk/storage/debat ... C0DF21.jpg

Thanks Corvus, for your input!

To the OP, do you have a cycled tank ready for this beauty? Find out what SG this fish is being kept at in the store.

I have a tank ready its cycled for over 2 months..
But what do u mean with SG? i am Dutch so.. Don't understand all your words and shortwords

Specific gravity. It's a way to measure the salinity of the water

They are kept in fresh water.. No salt at all

For now... You'd be best to keep it in low salinity--specific gravity of 1.005. Get yourself some marine salt & a hydrometer: library/puffers-in-focus/fig8/

He looks like both of my f8's. Quite handsome!

My thnks also to Corvus - there is no chance of my seing the nostrils in a low-res picture, or for that matter in most high-res shots unless they have just the right depth of field.

I strongly agree w/PP's comment on low specific gravity being the best for the fish, but I would push it down to 1.003 to 1.005 max if your measuring devices can read well at those levels. F-8s do not need a lot of salt. Also I would suggest keeping an eye on the KH of the tank. F-8s do best with controlled carbonate hardness. IME these fish respond well to careful control of both nitrate and maintenance of good KH. The latter is most easily supported by aragonite substrates. If other material is already in use for the substrate, a mesh bag of aragonite in an external filter will serve that end.

Wel he or she is swimming in his new tempery tank.... I can't take any pics right now its kind a foggy right now ...

salt is rightnow 1.002

I still say F8 because I have seen these among F8's (normal marking one's) with GSP's at the lfs where I got my fahaka from. Not saying that they are "true" F8's but this is what they being showing up as lately. Kinda makes me think that they are or could be collected at 2 different locations.

I've never seen an f8 at any of my lfs that have "normal" markings. I know that "normal" doesn't mean much as every fish is different but I think y'all get what I'm trying to say...lol! I've often thought that maybe this is due to where they are collected. Mine both have the same markings as the one pictured in this thread. When I was purchasing Fugu another customer asked what species he was and commented on how gorgeous he is. Also said he had never seen an f8 with markings like him. I would love to eventually have one with a beautiful "8" on his back as that would be very interesting for me to see because I have never seen one that even cones close to having an "8" on their back.

LOL! I have had an awful lot of F-8s, likely more w/an 8 on the head/back than not, but the ones with non-8 squiggles are more readily ID'd as individuals. But the figure 8 is not at all necessary to ID the fish.

Srkoe wrote:I've never seen an f8 at any of my lfs that have "normal" markings. I know that "normal" doesn't mean much as every fish is different but I think y'all get what I'm trying to say...lol! I've often thought that maybe this is due to where they are collected. Mine both have the same markings as the one pictured in this thread. When I was purchasing Fugu another customer asked what species he was and commented on how gorgeous he is. Also said he had never seen an f8 with markings like him. I would love to eventually have one with a beautiful "8" on his back as that would be very interesting for me to see because I have never seen one that even cones close to having an "8" on their back.

Normal, I meant average looking ones with that "8" look or near it on the back. All I ever owned and seen at the fish shops over the years had that "8" on the back. Here lately, I have been seeing the ones that looks more like yours mixed in with the average looking F8's at a lfs. Could be collected at a different CP then the average looking F8's. Like some other fish of a same species look different in markings or color that just live in a different location. That's something to look in but sometimes you will never really know unless you had some kind of contact with the exporter somehow.

Ok ok I promised a pic

So here it is... It's hard to take a picture and a photo at the same time But I have tryd