The Puffer Forum

I saw a puffer in my LFS that I would like to add to my tank but I am not sure they have the little guy labled right. They say he/she is a starry puffer but I can't find any pictures online of a juvenile starry. Right now he is a little bigger than a marble, he is black with white spots that you have to look close to see and his tail fin is yellow. Any ideas? I have made my head hurt searching online.....

Thanks for the help

Sounds like a Arothon meleagris (Guineafowl Puffer)??? Google that and see if it is similar. And google- Arothron hispidus (Stars and stripes puffer)

Most of the starries (A. stellatus) I have seen have dark spots on light colors, not the reverse of white spots on black.

Considering the Starry gets to 3+', I'd be very sure of the ID.

Ok I checked out google and the Arothon meleagris (Guineafowl Puffer) does look simular with the white spots on black but I don't see the yellow tail fin. Is this something that could change to black as he gets older? The Arothron hispidus (Stars and Stripes puffer) does have a little yellow on his tail fin but in the pictures he has white lines on his belly. IDK I am so lost on this one. I am thinking it is a juvenile of one of these puffers though.

I am about 100% sure its not a starry bc he doesn't fit the description of a juvenile starry.

Sounds like a juv. Golden puffer. If so, I would grab it in a heart beat. They go through color phases as they grow older. An adult golden puffer is extremely beautiful and pricey. So if they are selling this lil guy cheap then you might be getting a heck of a deal.

I have seen some guineafowl with a little yellow on them like this one (first pic)
http://www.kudalaut.eu/categoria-foto.p ... sh&lang=en

Other than that I am stumped!

Here is a pic of a juvi stars and stripes, pretty similar to an adult (Scroll down a little- about 11 pics)~
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=24840

PLEASE!! Before you add this puffer to your tank, get a picture and show us, so we can ID!!

Another possibility~Arothron mappa (Map puffer). The mappa usually has scribbles, but from a distance could look like he has spots.

Look at these google images ~ Colors can vary, but scribbles are usually white/light colored
http://www.google.com/images?um=1&hl=en ... =&aql=&oq=

And this pic~
http://www.pbase.com/clippo/image/69986151

Guess only a picture will help here.

PC has some really good pic's to compare. The star's and stripes puffer does have the white spots and a yellow tail plus when small and stressed they can turn black while showing off the white spots and yellow tail more. So it could be a young stressed stars and stripes puffer. They stars and stripes that I owned and loved many many years ago was a little black with bright white spots and a yellow tail when I first bought him. It's normal for most fishes at fish shops show off stress colors.

Sorry it took so long to get a pic...they are not very good either. I took them with my iPhone You can't really see the white spots in the pic but you can see the yellow tail.

I checked out the pics PC linked and they don't look like him either.

Those pics are impossible to ID. You can get a disposable digital camera for cheap, if you don't have a regular one. The fish looks very dark, possibly stress colors?

I have a digital SLR but I might look a little funny standing in the fish store taking pictures He has been there for quite some time now and doesn't seem to show symptoms of being stressed so idk. He is eating great and shows the normal friendly puffer attitude. I guess I will just leave him there. I really hate to bc he is so cute but I don't want to end up with a monster sized puffer a year down the road haha. They told me they think it is a Toby but their label says Starry. They obviously are clueless to what he is. Well thanks for the help.

What a shame that they could be selling a fish labeled as one that should only grow to 5" & it grows to 30"!

Don't be so self conscious about what you do in life... Just live it as you see fit. It's only a camera.

I was thinking the same about the fish ID from the LFS. Those 2 fish are so much differnet!

And not really self conscious....just thinking the owners might not want me taking pictures of their store/tanks lol.

Just explain why you're taking pics. If they have something to hide, maybe they don't belong in the business.