The Puffer Forum

I think it is a Takifugu Poecilonotus but not sure. LFS called it a Snowflake Fugu. Even if it is, there is little in the way of care for it or expected size. Anyone know? He's in QT at the moment and will be a singleton in a 55g. He's about 3" at the moment.

T niphobles or oblongus?

He doesn't have any spots like the T niphobles. These are the only photos I can find online that kind of look like him.

https://ffish.asia/?p=none&o=sspm&id=21685

Oh, I think I figured it out! He is an Takifugu obscurus!

His markings are like that of T ocellatus (saddleback), but he has no orange in him. I then found this site:
http://www.tropical-fish-keeping.com/ta ... grLRi.dpbs

"The Obscure puffer (Takifugu obscurus) looks similar to Takifugu ocellatus and is likely a related species however, the lines around its black markings are cream colored to white, not orange and it grows considerably larger (up to 16″)."

And that is him. He is white, cream, black. Oh my, 16"! I am gonna need a bigger tank in a few years!

This is him: http://mitofish.aori.u-tokyo.ac.jp/spec ... s=obscurus

I would wait for Corvus on this.

Yes, I saw that Corvus has some experience with this species. Would like to know more about care (temp, pH, salinity, etc). Have not tried to feed him yet, but he does not look like he has any teeth!

He's also our ID expert!

I'd also ID him as Takifugu obscurus, one of the medium sized to larger Takifugu reaching 20-40 cm. They are even bred in China and eaten as "Mefugu" in Japan, sometimes specimens occur in the aquarium trade. I have never kept them personally, but I bet he has teeth!

You'll find a few threads on them on this forum, e.g.

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=34462&p=356068&hili ... us#p356068

viewtopic.php?f=56&t=18849&p=196657&hil ... us#p196680

Thanks for the confirmation. I read your article on T ocellatus and you suggest that obscurus could be cared for the same way. T ocellatus requires cooler water 65-68, do you think that is true for obscurus? I can’t find any data to confirm that.

As far as I know, they are kept and bred in comparably cool water in China.

Huh, this has T ocellatus at pretty standard temps http://www.tropical-fish-keeping.com/ta ... grLRi.dpbs

I am conflicted on temp. how would you be able to tell if water was too warm or too cold for a puffer? He's at 74 now, and just ate for the first time, so I am taking that as a good sign.

I wouldn't believe most other sites on info for puffers. We have the best info from long-term pufferkeepers in the world here! I do know that even the top experts in the past couldn't keep the ocelllatus alive for long until they figured out they were a coldwater species.

Ack! This is making me nervous! Haha. He’s already got a name, Io, so hate to lose him. I don’t Iike the ambiguity.

Not sure what is worse for a puffer, water that is too cold or too warm. And what would be signs if he didn’t like the temp.

Compromised immune system from being kept in improper environment. Disease & shorter lifespan.

Huh, as a result of the culinary aspects of this species, there are some research papers on how to raise them. This one shows an optimal pH of 7.6, 77F temp and 3 meals a day. Granted this is for fattening them up for meals, and is only over an 8 week period, but still interesting. With a lack of other info, I'll start at these params and see how things go.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs ... 12.03189.x