spotted congo/green spotted puffer distinctions

[chris_1127]

I'm hoping someone might be able to help me out here. I have been looking out for ages now for Tetradon Schoutendeni, Spotted Congo puffers with little success - I missed some by a week a while back and have been kicking myself ever since. My LFS have been keeping tabs on their suppliers but havent had any more come up yet. Another LFS has fish labelled as "spotted puffers" with no Latin name attached - theyre in FW at present, and they have assured me that they will be fine staying in fresh water for their full lifespan (pinch of salt time ). However they cant reassure me by confirming the latin name. Are there any definitive charactoristics that I can look out for that will let me positively identify them? I understand that body shape will be slightly different, however as there are no other shops stocking GSP's locally its hard to compare not having seen one in the flesh. Any help much appreciated.

 

[SirMinion]

Ha! yes this is a problem, There are three species of puffer with similar markings but very different needs that are extremely difficult to tell apart when juvenile.

Plus of course, puffers are very good at changing colour to suit their surroundings, mood, stress level & diet.

• Tetrodon Schoutedeni, also known as the Leopard puffer and the Spotted Congo Puffer is an African freshwater fish that grows to 3.5 inches.
  Appearance: Short, slightly upturned snout, body colour is brown or olive to sandy going to yellow or white underneath and covered with mid to dark brown & occasionally black spots about the size of the pupil of its eye.
• Tetraodon Nigroviridis, also known as the Green Puffer and the Green-Spotted Puffer, is an Asian brackish fish which grows to 5.5 inches.
  Appearance: Short snout with no upturn, body colour ranges from irredescent yellow or lime green to dull sandy or grass green, fading to white underneath and covered with black polka dots around the size of the fish's eye.
• Tetraodon Fluviatilis, also known as the Green Puffer is an Asian brackish puffer that grows to almost 8 inches.
  Appearance: Short snout with no upturn, body colour is yellow going to white underneath and covered with irregular shaped & sized brown, green or black spots. Variants can look polka-dotted like the Green-Spotted Puffers, or patterned almost identically to the Figure-Eight Puffer.

So there you are. Possibly one way to be certain is to see if you can ask the supplier where they came from, as the Freshwater fish is African, whereas the two brackish fish are both from Asia.

 

[chris_1127]

cheers thats brilliant, will see if they know where they came from too. Thanks again!!

 

[chris_1127]

would you believe it, those "definitely freshwater" spotted puffers are Asian in origin - think i can rule out them being schoutendeni. Think i will be leaving well alone as i dont want to go brackish.

preferred local shop has just had a large (250!!) delivery of red-eyes though, so looks like i will be rehoming some tomorrow

 

[SirMinion]

would you believe it, those "definitely freshwater" spotted puffers are Asian in origin - think i can rule out them being schoutendeni. Think i will be leaving well alone as i dont want to go brackish.

preferred local shop has just had a large (250!!) delivery of red-eyes though, so looks like i will be rehoming some tomorrow

Yay! Teamwork and a nice bit of deduction and the mystery is solved!

I'd bet a hundred quid that they're Greenspots.

Good luck with the redeyes!