The Puffer Forum

Hi all
New to PF with no idea of forum navigation and newby owner of a sweet lil puffer...BUT cannot quite confirm identification.
This means I'm unsure if she's a brackish to marine or freshwater girl iv adopted, which could pose immediate problems regarding water and food options. She was caught in northern aust, is approx 6-7 cm in length, which to me does not make it a dwarf puffer (max of 1 inch or so) as I was wanting and thought to be by seller. I have her in a square 25 litre tank but am using my 19 litre fluval chi tanks filter/light over glass edge. Was expecting them to be fresh/brackish and of tiny dwarf size so was purchasing 2, until I viewed them, realising both were much larger so with size of tank I thought it wise to only adopt 1 puffer. I Already feel the 25 litre is inadequate and def will be unsuitable if shes not dwarf.
The other i did not choose was of similar size, slightly diff in appearance, no bands..more of spots/circles with slightly narrower face,( I thought it looked more marine) ?
My puffer could be either Marilyna Darwinii: brackish, marine.
Or Marilyna Pleurosticta-anadromous ? Freshwater, brackish, marine. in appearance almost exactly the same. From googling I think the above types don't diet on snails as such so I'm now thrown as to food needs. I don't understand how they can fall under all three water conditions tho-F,B, and marine.
Help needed plz
Have been attempting to get hold of 1or 2 freshwater dwarf puffers for a year with no luck until now, but sadly think she's not actually correct dwarf species.
Will post pic of her as soon as she swims till enough to catch one.
...just snapped one.
Apologies if posted in wrong area, but I was on a roll.
Lisa

It sure looks like a South American puffer but I don't see that being a native of your area. This was caught near you?

PP, your gonna get angry at me for this ...I swear... Don't yell at me!

But to me it looks more like Marilyna darwinii, than a SAP. It has 3 bands and no dark at the tail..and a Marilyna darwinii is found in Australia.

Marilyna darwinii



Fishbase
http://fishbase.sinica.edu.tw/Summary/S ... e=darwinii

Citing from 2009:

Pufferpunk wrote:Thank you Marco, I am afraid this is the puffer you keep IDing for me.

And so I do. We already had this genus here on the forum a few times... definitely no SAP. Marilyna, probably M. darwinii, because of the bars (a definite differentiation of M. pleurosticta and M. darwinii is only possible with observation of the spines, for care it's irrelevant anyways).

Keep all Marilyna species full marine.

LOL and DUH... This is why I keep you guys on board!

And I thought it was, because you liked us. Bummer. lol.

Concerning Admins... There is always an ulterior motive... lol

I thought it was the Marilyna Darwinii as I have cross referenced as many photos as I could find. This was wild caught from somewhere in the Northern Territory of Australia. The two I had to choose from was this lil girl and the other was a tad if fervent in appearance, I believe and actually told the guy I felt it was a marine type, just by looks...but I'm def NO expert of any fish.
He insisted they were brackish.
I'm concerned about the puffer I adopted as I have no marine setup, its currently in the 25 litre more freshwater than brackish at all. She appears fine, but often adverse conditions build up and aren't seen straight away.
I can see how you fall in love with these gems but sadly I am going to have to rehome this one, I see no way around it.
A year ago I had my heart set on finding myself a dwarf puffer, I was determined even tho many others said..."no, don't bother..they may be adorable but are ext hard to keep alive" ...let alone near impossibly to attain in the whole of Australia.
Is there anyone on this forum living in Perth WA who would like to purchase this so called Marilyna Darwinni, marine puffer?
I'm going to have to find a home quick other wise ask for one of my LFS s to foster til I can rehome.
..and if there's anyone that can help my find an actual dwarf banded puffer, I'm desperate.
Thanku all...Lis
Ps: can and how do attach short video?, hmm can't attach pic either