The Puffer Forum

Hello everyone 

I have a Diodon Holocanthus (I think he used to be, lol) When he was younger, I can see its typical appearances as a Diodon Holocanthus (dark brown blotched around his eyes & block dot on body). He is about 1 foot long (a little bit bigger than that) already, but he looks like Diodon Hystrix to me now. I mean no any blotched around his eyes, and instead, I see lots little black dot all over its body.
I am just curious about this. Does anyone know that “Diodon Holocanthus” lose their blotched mark around their eyes when they become that big??
I also have a “Diodon Liturosus”, and he never loses his black-blothed. Well, not yet so far … LOL … He is about 9 in now.
I didn’t have any experiences with any young “Diodon Hystrix”, so not sure what they looks like when they are young. Could it be both “Diodon Hystrix” & “Diodon Holocanthus” look similar when they were young?

I believe the spines are much longer on the holocanthus. Let's pray that's what you have & not a hystrix!

no one really keep hystrix as they grow to 4 ft long

Walrus Head wrote:no one really keep hystrix as they grow to 4 ft long

wouldnt I love to see that! hehe a puffer almost as big as me!

hadla wrote:

Walrus Head wrote:no one really keep hystrix as they grow to 4 ft long

wouldnt I love to see that! hehe a puffer almost as big as me!

i saw a 3ft one when i went diving in antigua, heres a video of a pair of 3.5ft hystrix puffers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dj3A0V3DSZo

Oh wow they are huge!!! That's crazy.

Do you have a picture for ID? One showing the caudal peduncle and one showing the head area?

I've seen D. holocanthus, D. hystrix and D. liturosus in trade and aquaria. Often the IDs are all wrong...

Check out this link
http://www.paulreds.it/pesci_porcospino.html

Hi,
Here is my puffer that I think he looks like “Diodon Hystrix”

What do you think ? I also have Diodon Liturosus, which still have its marks ...

Both your IDs are correct!

OMG, what are you going to do now??? How big is the tank?

I guess it is Diodon Hystrix from these replies I read. That is so weird. I remember he had dark brown blotched around his eyes when he was younger. Well, I have a 225 gal tank, but I think it maybe still too small for him if he grow bigger. I am thinking put him back to ocean since I live close FL beach. My roommate thinks that is not good for him since he is used to be feed regularly now...

I would get him hunting live foods & put him back.