My new puffer - Chelonodon patoca

[Tsubakai]

Picked up a baby Milk-spotted Toadfish (Chelonodon patoca) from the LFS a few weeks ago. Care info was a bit scarce, initially didn't even have an ID other than FW puffer.

Initially tried him in my brackish (SG 1.008) tank where he was fine for about a week before he decided he didn't like it and tried to die. Moved him back to freshwater (with aquarium salt) where he is thriving now. He's filling out well in his 55 gal acrylic cylinder tank where he is the only inhabitant. Loves his bits of shrimp, freeze-dried krill soaked in vitamins but his main diet is Hikari Gold sinking pellets - these are his favourite pellets so far.

Anyone got any experience in keeping these guys? There is very little info around locally. I will post on Pufferpunk's forum sometime over the weekend for more advice. My plan was to slowly increase his SG through low brackish to high end brackish or full marine as he grows. Since the max size in the wild is about 14" he's got a fair bit of growing to do yet.

Only two decent pics so far as he's a little ***** to photograph. Hopefully will get more soon.

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[Tom500]

That is a very very cute puffer. Good pick up.

[pufferdudeg5]

Looks like the South American puffer to me. I believe they are full FW, no salt and dont get that big. Ill look around.
Great pick up! Watch out they can be fin nippers.

[pufferdudeg5]

Looks like they can be light brackish. Not sure if they can make it full marine.
The information I found says in captivity they normally dont get any biggert than 3".
What else do you have in your brackish tank?

[Tsubakai]

I know it looks like the SA puffer but it was wild caught in Northern Australia. Its a juvenile stage of C. patoca but as it gets older it will change to look like the adult form.

http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=6610 has a photo of the adult form.

[Pufferpunk]

Hmmm... Looks different than ones I've seen in person. Is it's "skin" shiny/silvery? If it is indeed that species, it's a SW fish.

According to Dr Ebert's book, The Puffers of Fresh & Brackish Waters:
"This marine puffer is frequently imported from Sri Lanka. Although it is a marine fish, it does astonishlingly well in FW & even when kept in FW for extended periods it is often hardier than some BW puffers. Because of it's unusual appearance & interesting bahaviour (remaining close to the bottom & sometimes burying itself in sand), it would be considered an attractive aquarium occupant, were it not for it's particularly well-developed tendency of biting the finnage of other fishes. Peaceful towards conspecifics."

[HarlanAshmore]

that is deffinately common name banded puffer google it

[Pufferpunk]

I believe you are incorrect. We have a scientist, a Mentor on TPF, who can positively ID for you. He goes by Corvus.

[movitt]

i know fish can change as they get older but it looks EXACTLY like my South american puffers, BUT i dont see a black spot under the belly by the tail fin...does it have one??

[Pufferpunk]

Look at the shape of the face, the SAP has a much shorter snout. Then you have the placememt of the dorsal fin & of course, that black belly spot. You can't just go by markings to ID a puffer.

[Eläköön]

i think it looks like banded puffer.
which gets 12" and is still a great looking puffer. but im no expert. just my opinion

[Pufferpunk]

You mean the Parrot puffer, Colomesus psittacus? The face, eyes & snout are all wrong.

[Pufferpunk]

Got a positive ID on your puffer. It is a Marilyna pleurosticta. Brackish to marine, occasionally entering rivers, Northern Australia.

http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=12514&p=133884&hilit=Marilyna#p133884

http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=12229&p=126592&hilit=Marilyna#p126592

[Tsubakai]

that is deffinately common name banded puffer google it

i think it looks like banded puffer.
which gets 12" and is still a great looking puffer. but im no expert. just my opinion

Thanks for trying to help but common names are not useful as they can be applied to completely different fish depending on what part of the world you are from.

Got a positive ID on your puffer. It is a Marilyna pleurosticta. Brackish to marine, occasionally entering rivers, Northern Australia.

http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=12514&p=133884&hilit=Marilyna#p133884

http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=12229&p=126592&hilit=Marilyna#p126592

Thanks for that. Another possiblilty I thought it could be was Marilyna meraukensis. Its not come up well in the photos but I think mine has Chelonodon nasal organ (depression with skin flaps) whereas the Marilyna has flattened papillae with a pair of widely separate openings and a skin fold on the lower part of the body from behind the pectoral fin to caudal fin base which mine does not have. Either way I should get a better idea as it grows and care should be similar as they seem to be closely related. Again, thanks for your input - I'll post more photos if I can capture any good shots.

[Pufferpunk]

Corvus (our resitent scientist/Mentor at TPF) is very good at ID. If he says Marilyna, I'd go with it.

[cr8on]

Definitely Marilyna pleurosticta, I have kept these in the past. Make sure they have plenty of salt in the water, mine seemed happy for a few weeks then went belly up. It was kept with Monos, a Chromide and a Longfinned Eel. Very prone to skin infections. A friend of mine mixed them with African Cichlids with success. They go by the name of 'Banded Puffer' in most LFS.

[Pufferpunk]

But A cichlids don't like that much salt & it's the wrong kind.

[Militis]

Very Nice makes me regret not getting one :headbang2

:popcorn:

[jwishbone]

Hi

I have both the Marilyna pleurosticta and the Chelonodon Patoca.

Im from Sydney, sourced both puffers from a LFS.. so most likely local puffers as Australia does not import or export puffers internationally. (Sucks)

http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=15264

I can provide you with more pics if required. It was a misconception that the Marilyna was the young version of the White Spot but I have both in similar sizes and its definitely 2 different species.

First clue is the snout of both puffers are very different from each other.

I would go with Pufferpunks advise re: Corvus Puffer ID-ing.

Both have been started in Brackish from 1.010 to 1.018. Both thrived well.
Increased salinity to full salt to take advantages of the benefits of having live rock.
Currently residing in full salt environment. Thriving very well. The white spot had grown from time i bought him, whilst the banded has grown very slowly. I think it comes down to the aggressiveness and dominance of the White Spot.

White spot bullies the BAnded, banded puffer has bite marks on his fins. Both are always fed well. I believe its just for territorial dominance that it comes out of.

I recommend both fishes.. awesome fishes!

[Pufferpunk]

Yeah, Corvus is the best for IDs.

[RedDevilDon2005]

are you really doubting jeni? come on now lol