The Puffer Forum

I've read on two sources online that female lorteti have no belly markings, while female irrubesco do have belly stripes.

Is that 100% or is it possible for one or the other to not conform to that?

I ask because I got lucky and found some irrubescos for sale locally, and picked up four females, but one has no belly markings, and the other three vary from faint to high contrasting belly stripes.

What do you think?

TIA

Nobody?

Cohazard wrote:I've read on two sources online that female lorteti have no belly markings, while female irrubesco do have belly stripes.

Confirmed, female C. lorteti have no belly markings at all. Can also count the vertical bars on the caudal fin as an additional character for ID. lorteti:4-5, irrubesco: 5-7.

Cohazard wrote:Is that 100% or is it possible for one or the other to not conform to that?

Somewhat Variable.

Cohazard wrote:I ask because I got lucky and found some irrubescos for sale locally, and picked up four females, but one has no belly markings, and the other three vary from faint to high contrasting belly stripes.

Have seen that variability, too. Mine has very few, at least much fewer than others, but still more than C. lorteti, where the marks stop more upwards.

Cohazard wrote:What do you think?
TIA

Pics.

Here's the best shot I could get of the female with no belly stripes:



A couple of the male:

If seen alone without its mates this female could be IDd as a lorteti at least from the distance of this picture.

ooh lovely looking tank BTW

manutius wrote:ooh lovely looking tank BTW

Thank you.