Freshwater Puffer

[sassiegemstone]

I did not know where to put this so since I am a new owner of a puffer, I thought it would be best to start here.

I was told at the pet store this is a freshwater puffer and several others tell me that is a brackish water puffer and as an adult it is a salt water puffer.

This puffer is only supposed to be in freshwater and looks like a few species. Can anyone help me?



Color: Green with spots

 

[soritan]

I'm sure you already know about http/www.pufferlist.com/ <- that site? The picture seems to match up with Tetraodon nigroviridis, with my amateur eye.

 

[sassiegemstone]

I'm sure you already know about http/www.pufferlist.com/ <- that site? The picture seems to match up with Tetraodon nigroviridis, with my amateur eye.

Okay, that states it is a brackish water puffer and the pet store told me freshwater only and it will only get about another inch bigger.

It is now about 1 1/2 inches so it will be only about 3 inches when full grown.

It is a fin nipper since it was in a tank with same puffers and all had their fins nipped.

 

[soritan]

(edit to remove a mistake on my information).

But I'm pretty much a rank amateur, and honestly, yours looks very much like a tetraodon nigroviridis to me, and the description does state that it is often sold as a fresh water in its youth.

I would press your LPS for the latin name, hard. They'll give you a tight smile and be internally quite annoyed, but it'll save you a bunch of sleuthing.

 

[The-Wolf]

I too am by no means an expert on puffers but it does look like a t.nigroviridis to me too.

 

[SirMinion]

Yep, that's a green, spotted puffer tetraodon nigroviridis for certain.

A six-inch brackish water puffer that requires stronger brackish water as it matures and is even happy in full seawater.

It's a predatory fish which will kill most tankmates and will certainly eat other fish's fins.

The reason that stores sell them as freshwater is because they swim into rivers to spawn, so the baby fish are collected in freshwater leading to the being incorrectly labled as freshwater fish. They will not live long in freshwater and will be very prone to infection and disease.