Tuna Puffer?????

[fishdudein]

In my LFS the other day, checking out new arrivals. I normally don't check out the puffer tank, it's usually just spotteds and figure eights. But this day they had tuna puffers, something I had never heard of before. A rather interesting looking fish. Going from memory, I don't think there was a pattern. It wasn't as "round" a fish as the F8's and spotteds, and seemed to move quicker than they did, more streamlined. There was no scientific name, I could possibly get one from them.

I have avoided this "puffer disease" that you people seem to have around here, but I think I may have just caught it. The fish has been on my mind all weekend now.

I "try" to avoid buying fish I don't know anything about. Anybody heard of this fish before? I didn't see "tuna puffer" listed in the pinned topic listing puffer varieties. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[SirMinion]

As far as I'm aware, and as far as the Aqualog book The Puffers of Fresh and Brackish Waters is concerned, there's no such fish as a 'tuna puffer'

This sounds like a classic case of LFS playing the 'it's got no common name, let's make one up' game.

Can you describe it more fully? Size? colour?

The only thing I can think of is the Elongated Golden Puffer (aurioglobus silius), which is more streamlined than other species and is (very) vaguely tuna shaped.

aurioglobus silius (freshwater)

 

[SirMinion]

It's just occurred to me that you didn't state whether its fresh, brackish or marine. If it's marine then I have no idea whiat it might be, but there's not one single result on google for "tuna puffer"

 

[fishdudein]

Thank you, Sir Minion! That picture looks exactly like the fish they had,only maybe a little fuller through the belly. Now that I have a scientific name, I can maybe get some info on them.

Never having kept freshwater puffers before (I have kept saltwater ones in the past), would you have any recommendations on this fish, any personal experience? I have read a lot of the posts in this forum, I know most puffers are definitely not community fish and can be rather aggressive. This one "looks" different (I will of course search for info on my own, but your opinion would be apreciated!)(Or anybody who has experience with these)

Thanks again for the quick reply!!!

 

[Pufferpack]

I will guess that the puffer in question is Auriglobus modestus (very similar to the one Sir Minion mentioned), mainly because they seem to be popping up in lfs quite frequently lately. I keep 2 of the A. modestus at this time, they vary in temperment, one spends most of it's time guarding it's cave, while the other spends most of it's day searching every crack and crevase for signs of food. I have noticed some signs of aggression (mostly between the 2) when I skip a days feeding, but once food is introduced the aggression seems to be forgotten. Like the rest of the puffer family I feed them live/frozen foods, but unlike most, this puffer is reported to eat seed pods in the wild, and mine do seem to enjoy the occasional floating cichlid pelled, as well as a bit of flake with their supper.
Here is a a pic of one of my pair, does this look like the one you are referring to?

 

[fishdudein]

Thanks, Pufferpack, that sure does look like the fish I saw. I appreciate the info. Do you keep them to themselves in a species tank, or are you able to keep them in a community tank? (I am sure tank size would probably have a lot to do with this)

 

[Pufferpack]

I keep them in a 35 gal (3 ft) tank with Dwarf puffers, South American puffers, and Otocinclus. The tank is heavily planted so the puffers are all getting along for the most part, but I don't think I would try them in a typical community tank. There were some guppies in the tank for a while, they were the fish I cycled the tank with, and they produced 5 generations of fry, but most were eaten, the ones that grew to maturity usually got nipped up pretty bad. I finally moved them into a different tank, now I have to keep finding homes for guppy fry every month or 2

 

[fishdudein]

Update: I just got back from the LFS, they now have the fish labeled as modestus puffers. In the same tank with spotteds and figure 8's, but they sure do look different, definitely not your average freshwater puffer looks.

Thanks to both Sir Minion and Pufferpack, I really appreciate the way you share your knowledge!!!!