The Puffer Forum

Hi guys,

Ever since I purchased my marine puffers I've always been on the lookout for freshwater puffers at LFS's. not neccessarily to buy, I just like looking at them, and 'playing' with them while my boyfriend examines corals. I have never seen a freshwater/brackish puffer at an LFS until yesterday! It was only labelled 'freshwater puffer' and I had no idea what it was.

I'll try to describe him... he was small, only about 2.5cms and was like a pale grey colour with darker grey stripes across his body. probably about 4 or 5 stripes. After looking on Pufferpedia, the only puffer that he really looked like was the South American Puffer. Does this sound right?

Just a few questions:

1. Does anyone know why there aren't many freshwater puffers available in Australia? Or does anyone know any LFS's in Victoria that sell freshwater puffers?

2. In its profile it says they can be kept with tankmates. What sorts of fish would they be compatible with? In the LFS he was with these weird sort of really flat fish that didn't move.. but he was bullying them a bit.

You can probably tell, I know absolutely nothing about freshwater fish/tanks so any help will be great! I don't think I'm going to buy him but just researching incase my boyfriend ever changes his mind about another tank

Thanks!

bonnie3188 wrote:
I'll try to describe him... he was small, only about 2.5cms and was like a pale grey colour with darker grey stripes across his body. probably about 4 or 5 stripes. After looking on Pufferpedia, the only puffer that he really looked like was the South American Puffer. Does this sound right?

Please see here for an Australian puffer similar to a SAP. http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/vie ... t=marilyna It only has three bars, however. If it is this puffer it is Marilyna pleurosticta, a marine puffer that frequently enters brackish and freshwater estuaries and rivers as well as tidal pools. When caught during their trips in fresh water they are labeled "freshwater puffer".

Just a few questions:
1. Does anyone know why there aren't many freshwater puffers available in Australia? Or does anyone know any LFS's in Victoria that sell freshwater puffers?

AFAIK after many bad experiences Australians are very careful with regard to what they import. AFAIK most (probably not all) fishes sold in Australia are either caught in (more or less) Australian waters or bred in Australia. AFAIK there are no native Australian freshwater puffers. Nearest ones would be Carinotetraodons from Indonesia.

2. In its profile it says they can be kept with tankmates. What sorts of fish would they be compatible with? In the LFS he was with these weird sort of really flat fish that didn't move.. but he was bullying them a bit.

Depends on the species we are discussing.

Thanks heaps for the detailed reply! I think he was a Marilyna pleurosticta- definately looked more like that than a SAP. So would you keep this fish in marine conditions?

We get marine fish from all over the world, so I thought it would be the same for freshwater, perhaps not.

Thanks again

bonnie3188 wrote:Thanks heaps for the detailed reply! I think he was a Marilyna pleurosticta- definately looked more like that than a SAP. So would you keep this fish in marine conditions?

Welcome! Yes, although they are considered being euryhaline and enter rivers, following literature they spent most of their time in shallow coastal waters with full marine salinity.

bonnie3188 wrote:We get marine fish from all over the world...

I didn't know that. I was told by another Australian that import of living beings to Australia is very difficult to protect the Australian ecosystem and avoid things like the toad invasion.

You may want to pm user navy, who has this species.

There also was a brief discussion of salinity needed for them on WetWebMedia.

Also see http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/vie ... 7&start=15
for an excerpt of a book with info on them.

Thanks for the info!

Australia imports fish from everywhere, and we export as well. The only thing that is prohibited is importing corals and inverts. The only corals we get are ones collected from Australian waters.