The Puffer Forum

While most Mappas I have seen and maintain for that matter, are some shade of tan - dark to light, with black lines, I do have a Mappa that is jet black with the rypical "Mappa lines" but his are white - its like he is the opposite of the norm. When I received the black one, I was told he came from between Madagascaar and Africa....my others are all tan with tinges of yello skin (normal) "supposedly" were just indo-pacific.

While color variations are very common ans obviously change depending on surroundings more often than not, does anyone have a viable source that provides puffer coloration depending on the local region is a region thing or genetic thing or both? Sure I imagine both but my "black Mappa" never changes - lighter or darker - maybe region rather than genetics? Ideas on this one?

Very possible a combination of both. Genetics works on survival of the fittest, so if a darker puffer that is living in a region with darker substrate for example, gets eaten less than a lighter puffer in that region, then the darker puffers will have a better survival rate to live to adulthood for breeding.