Id: 'spotted Congo' Or 'green Spotted' Puffer?...

[bogwood]

Went to my lfs today to get some supplies and have a mooch around the tanks for ideas for another 20UKG I am currently cycling... and saw what I initially thought were some SA Puffers... I was told they were in fact 'Spotted Puffers'... they were about an inch long, with dark browny/black 'round' rather than 'oval' spots, over a pale green/yellow back with a white/cream underbelly... the body was very round and deep - rather than the slightly elongated, flatter body shape of SAPs... I got chatting to the shop owner and he told me these were definately 'Freshwater' and would stay small - growing to around 4 inches...

...I then got talking to a customer - who owned various puffers - who informed me these 'Spotted Puffers' or 'Spotted Congo Puffers' as they are apparently also known - are actually rarely found for sale in fish shops (in the uk anyway), and that these puffers could be 'Green Spotted Puffers' that grow to a much larger size... and, more importantly, are a 'Brackish' Puffer... he went on to say that the brackish 'GSP' is often mis-sold as the smaller, freshwater 'SCP' and that although the juvenile GSPs are happy in FW - over time and maturity - they will need brackish conditions...

Now I quite fancy some of these 'Spotted Congo Puffers' (maybe 2 in the new heavily planted 20UKG) but need help in confirming the ID - as I don't want to find out later that what I actually have are the larger, 'brackish' GSPs...!

...I had a quick look on the web and found some info saying that 'Spotted Congo Puffers' are much more 'rotund' in body shape than other small puffers...

...any further info appreciated...

 

[SirMinion]

Hi.
It sounds like you've found some Leopard puffers Tetraodon Schoutedeni, a true freshwater puffer from the African congo which bears some superficial similarity to the Green Spotted Puffer, Tetraodon Nigroviridis
Differences are exactly as you've described, being brown and cream with irregular spots instead of lime green with fairly even spots.
One way to be more sure is to ask the store if their supplier can tell them where they were imported from. This information is often on the store's delivery notes, t. nigroviridis is Asian whereas t. schoutedeni is African.

The leopard puffer grows to around 3.5 inches and although aggresive it is possible to keep several together given enough room. Crowding will lead to territorial fighting. You might get away with two in 20 UKg (24 USg) but it might be pushing it.

This puffer likes to destroy plants so beware if you intend them for a planted tank!

 

[bogwood]

Hi.
It sounds like you've found some Leopard puffers Tetraodon Schoutedeni, a true freshwater puffer from the African congo which bears some superficial similarity to the Green Spotted Puffer, Tetraodon Nigroviridis
Differences are exactly as you've described, being brown and cream with irregular spots instead of lime green with fairly even spots.
One way to be more sure is to ask the store if their supplier can tell them where they were imported from. This information is often on the store's delivery notes, t. nigroviridis is Asian whereas t. schoutedeni is African.

The leopard puffer grows to around 3.5 inches and although aggresive it is possible to keep several together given enough room. Crowding will lead to territorial fighting. You might get away with two in 20 UKg (24 USg) but it might be pushing it.

This puffer likes to destroy plants so beware if you intend them for a planted tank!

Thanks SirMinion...

 

[chris_1127]

theres a guide online somewhere that gives the differences between t. nigroviridis, t. fluviatilis and t. schoutedeni - cant find the link now, but i think obvious forward-facing spines on the belly were one of the key things it said to look for on t. schoutedeni. Nice find if they are though

 

[bogwood]

theres a guide online somewhere that gives the differences between t. nigroviridis, t. fluviatilis and t. schoutedeni - cant find the link now, but i think obvious forward-facing spines on the belly were one of the key things it said to look for on t. schoutedeni. Nice find if they are though

...if it helps with any further ID, these puffers had 'metallic' pale blue eyes... I couldn't see any spines on the belly... maybe too juvenile too show?...

 

[chris_1127]

i couldnt tell you I'm afraid, i gave up waiting on finding any after several months of trying to get lfs's to order them in with no success

found the page with the guide on differences - well worth a look - http/puffernet.tripod.com/confusion.html

here's another page courtesy of pufferpunk thats very useful
http/www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/cav1i1/green...ted_puppies.htm

 

[bogwood]

i couldnt tell you I'm afraid, i gave up waiting on finding any after several months of trying to get lfs's to order them in with no success

found the page with the guide on differences - well worth a look - http/puffernet.tripod.com/confusion.html

here's another page courtesy of pufferpunk thats very useful
http/www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/cav1i1/green...ted_puppies.htm

thanks chris_1127... from pics in the top link, the Puffers in my lfs looked like 'T. shoutedeni'... deep, rotund body shape...

your second link though, throws the ID into doubt, surprise, surprise!... I quote: 'There are only 2 'Spotted Puffers', the first is the rarely seen T. shoutedeni, known in the trade as the 'Congo Spotted Puffer'. This is strictly a freshwater Puffer. The only visible difference between the Congo Spotted and Green Spotted Puffer are the longer spines on the Congo’s belly. It is highly doubtful that you have a Congo Spotted Puffer in your tank, as they are almost never found in the aquarium trade and would be very expensive to purchase.

 

[bogwood]

ok... I've just spoken to the owner of my lfs... I totally confused him asking about these puffers being either 'Tetraodon Nigroviridis' (Green Spotted puffer - brackish)... or 'Tetraodon Schoutedeni' (Spotted Congo Puffer - freshwater)... he is going to phone the supplier in Singapore!

I did query the fact that if they are natives from Singapore then they are prob. 'Tetraodon Nigroviridis' (Asian) rather than 'Tetraodon Schoutedeni' (Congo: African)... he said not to 'jump to any conclusions' as they could well be from Singapore, imported from Africa(?!)...

Lets wait and see what he finds out...

...incidently, this is a great example of lfs not knowing exactly what species they have - and selling them under the generic name of 'spotted puffer'...

...if I hadn't researched myself and questioned the lfs, I could well end up with the wrong fish!

 

[SirMinion]

If it helps with any further ID, these puffers had 'metallic' pale blue eyes

The 'metallic' sheen you saw on their eyes is common in many species of puffers.
Current thinking is that it's actually the fish's natural defence against bright sunlight - like having built-in sunglasses - The reflected light can make they eyes look blue in colour.

For some reason, this sheen on the eyes seems to become more visible when the fish is stressed and will often fade or even completely disappear once the fish is settled in the aquaruium.


Huge kudos to you for not taking these fish at face value. Well done indeed!

 

[Disco]

Where abouts is the shop you have seen them in?

 

[bogwood]

ok... I've just spoken to the owner of my lfs... I totally confused him asking about these puffers being either 'Tetraodon Nigroviridis' (Green Spotted puffer - brackish)... or 'Tetraodon Schoutedeni' (Spotted Congo Puffer - freshwater)... he is going to phone the supplier in Singapore!

I did query the fact that if they are natives from Singapore then they are prob. 'Tetraodon Nigroviridis' (Asian) rather than 'Tetraodon Schoutedeni' (Congo: African)... he said not to 'jump to any conclusions' as they could well be from Singapore, imported from Africa(?!)...

Lets wait and see what he finds out...

update: damn... they are the brackish, Green Spotted Puffers....