The Puffer Forum

It seems like the message I wrote before I went to bed, got sucked into a black hole. It just hasn't shown up here. I apologize if I double post anything. But 8-10 hours before a message shows up, seems rather strange...

Well, to my little problem. A few days ago, I bought a tetraodon Leiurus. The search for information about this one, has turned out to be rather difficult. First: I can't find it in the PufferPedia here at the Puffer Forum.
Second: I checked out the Norwegian forum I usually use, and there I got 3 hits, on 3 different puffers. Or, are they really 3 different puffers? Or are they actually the same one?
1: Tetraodon Leiurus. This name was at least the right one. But there wasn't any information there, except its maximum size.

2. Monotretus turgidus. It says that it also used to have these names earlier:
Monotreta leiurus
Tetraodon leiurus
Monotrete turgidus

3. Tetraodon cochinchinensis. It says that this one used to have these names earlier:
Tetraodon leiurus
Monotreta leiurus
Crayacion cochinchinensis Monotrete cochinchinensis
Tetraodon cochinchinensis
Tetraodon fangi
Monotreta fangi
Tetrodon fangi
Tetraodon leiurus brevirostris
Tetraodon ocellaris

These two last puffers both used to be called Tetraodon Leiurus, but they don't seem to be called each others names. They also have very different maximum sizes. A difference of more than 10 cm! This is rather confusing.
Are they 3 different species, or the same one? And if I do have a Tetraodon Leiurus, can anyone give me some information on this puffer?

I can add that is's a very nice puffer, and I'm in love with it. I don't have any pictures of it yet. It's still too shy to get close enough. Unfortunately, I managed to break the aquarium it was supposed to live in, so for a few days it has had to live in 12 litres. Poor thing! I've almost had nightmares about it. But today it will finally come to it's new home, which is ten times the size

I've got some of this figured out now. They are 3 different species. But I still can't find Leiurus in the PufferPedia. Can anyone give me some information on this one? All I know is maximum size, temperature and that it can live both in fresh water and brackish water. I will post pictures as soon as it will let me take them (which probably will take a long while... ).

Hope his new tank is properly cycled.

Should be rather fresh than brackish. May occasionally occur in the mouth of the rivers but occurs more often in strict fresh water parts.

For closely related species which should be cared for in a similar way see abei, cochinchinensis, barbatus, turgidus in the pufferpedia.

Real leiurus have a long snout (more than two eyes diameter) and a big eyelike spot below the dorsal fin.

Have a look at:
http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/Species ... p?id=16134

Thank you very much

Corvus wrote: Real leiurus have a long snout (more than two eyes diameter) and a big eyelike spot below the dorsal fin.

I'll have a look at it as soon as it will let me. He/she is really shy, and I can't see anything but the tail yet.

I guess it's to aggressive to even have a mate? They were two in the same tank at the pet shop. And is there any differences between the sexes? Is this the kind of puffer that swims around hunting, or lurks around in the shadow, waiting for the food to come by?

It's more a lurker than a swimmer, they are most active during dusk, dawn and at nighttime. I'd try some kind of 'moonlight' like in marine tanks or simply blue LEDs. A lot of plants may make him feel very comfortable, too. Younger ones are abundant in swamp areas.

I have no idea how to tell the sexes apart on the living fish. Maybe size of adults, but that's rather vague.

If the tank is very large and well structured it may be possible to have two of them. But even in that case biting may be possible. Other fish may be attacked in general. There may be exceptions.

They like to hang out in a "cave", like a flowerpot.
all the "target" species, require the same care, just different tank sizes. The reasion the leiurus isn't in the PP, is besause none of us have seen one in a really long time.

Pufferpunk wrote: The reasion the leiurus isn't in the PP, is because none of us have seen one in a really long time.

Well, let's hope I got the real thing, then

If you do, then congrats & let's see those pics (either way)!

When transferring the puffer into the new tank, I finally had the chance of a good look at it. It has the eye-like spot for sure And it looks very much alike the picture in the link mentioned above. When it comes to the length of the snout, I'm not quite sure. It's twice the diameter of the eyes at most. Of course it depends on how you measure it...
Wow, it's a beauty I've only got one puffer before this one (a GSP), but this one seem to have a lot more personality. I can see the fish thinking. I guess that has to do with this lurking personality. This one is a lot more calm, than my GSP. And it's absolutely watching me, wondering who I am.

I will leave him/her in peace for today. It's been a hard day, moving into a new home. I will give it the night to settle in. So no pictures tonight.

The length of the snout confuses me. I've looked at many pictures around in different places now, and the length differs a lot! I guess there's a lot of pictures that really aren't the leiurus, but there are also other puffers that has this length of the snout it seems (like abei). Or is this wrong too? If there's more than the leiurus that has long snout, what's the difference between those species?

We really need a pic.

Picture would be good.

Real leiurus really has a long snout more than twice the diameter of the eye. They look just like the barbatus in the pufferpedia. Difference is that the latter has a white belly with a sharp transition to the side and the back while on leiurus the transition is very gradual.

Real abei also may have a longer snout, but their eyespot is smaller and with age becomes more and more similar to the other spots until it cannot be differentiated from them anymore.

There may not be many real leiurus in trade in the USA and Europe but they were traded in Japan. Pictures in the internet are not very reliable.

Here is one linked from Japan:
http://www.geocities.co.jp/AnimalPark/4 ... eiurus.jpg

one from France:
http://www.aqua-flore.com/aquarium/phot ... 132259.jpg

another:
http://www4.pantown.com/data/2888/board ... 124643.jpg

EDIT: changed the img tags to url tags.

Do we have permission for those pics?

If not then it may be best if they are removed and replaced by a link to the site.

Thanks!

I haven't been able to get a pic that's good enough for identifying the puffer, but I have two as a "preview" Tiger (which is the name it's got), just won't let me get what I want.