Southern Thailand Puffer ID

[krandall]

Hi Folks,

I recently returned from a trip to Thailand whre I came across a small puffer in the wild (which, alas, I was not able to catch!) I was wondering if you folks could give me an idea what it might have been based on the locality and my (admittedly vague) description. I wish I could give a better description, but it was late in the afternoon and the lighting conditions were poor. I didn't have my net with me, because we were just scouting the strem. As this was mostly an aquatic plant trip, and there were no plants of interest in the stream, we did not go back for another try at the puffer the next day.

The stream was a small clear water stream just north of Ranong, Thailand, high in the mountains in an uninhabited, forest area. I saw the puffer among roots along the stream bank. The stream had a decent flow rate, but was wadeable at this time of year. (Jan. - dry season) It was small, no more than 2" SL, and from thr top, bright, flourescent green. (which was what caught my eye... I wasn't looking for fish) It moved in that typical puffer way of curling its tail around to its body while it sized me up, then darting a short distance away and hovering again.

Any help you can give me with a possible ID for this fish would be appreciated!

Thanks,

Karen Randall

[Pufferpunk]

Check out our Pufferpedia (under the Learn tab above) for ID. My guess would be the GSP.

[Martin Hi.]

hi,
t. nigroviridis should not live there. it's too high and therefore too far away from the sea, where it spawns.
how about the auriglobus-species?
martin

[krandall]

I did check the "Pufferpedia". There is no way this could be a brackish water fish. Ther are waterfalls (steep ones) between where we found it and the ocean.

I wondered about the Auriglobus species, as the color is right, but they seemed rather narrow bodied compared to what I remember seeing (though I could be convinced) and I saw no reference to them occuring in southern Thailand (on the Penninsula). I don't think there is much is any chance that this was an introduced fish, based on the locality.

Karen

[marksrush]

...I wondered about the Auriglobus species, as the color is right, but they seemed rather narrow bodied compared to what I remember seeing...

Actually Auriglobus are much narrower/thinner than your average puffer. Mine looks like a puffer from the side, but you see him head-on, and he looks more like a mini pacu or something like that.

[Martin Hi.]

hi,

and I saw no reference to them occuring in southern Thailand (on the Penninsula). I don't think there is much is any chance that this was an introduced fish, based on the locality.

auriglobus modetus for example is found all over thailand and even south of sout thailand in malaysia: http://fishbase.de/Country/CountryList. ... e=modestus

also auriglobus nefastus: http://fishbase.de/Country/CountryList. ... e=nefastus

martin

[krandall]

Are there any other possible species that are wider bodied than the Auriglobus that might be found in that area? Otherwise, I guess this might be at least the right genus. Certainly the color was right.

Thanks,

Karen

[marksrush]

Oh, I see what you're saying: the ones you saw in the wild were wider bodied than pics you've seen of Auriglobus. I was reading that the other way around.

[Martin Hi.]

hi,

Are there any other possible species that are wider bodied than the Auriglobus that might be found in that area?

not with green color.
check this one: http://fishbase.org/Country/CountryChec ... csub_code=
martin