Looking for name and info about new little puffers

[jdmorgan20fan]

I was fishing in pascagoula ms saturday night and was throwing my cast net. I caught 3 little puffers about a 1/2 in. long. I was trying to see what kind they are and if they would eat my corals. They have great personalities and eat brine shrimp like crazy. If anyone has any info about them, any would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Jonathan

[jason214]

i would say most likely will eat coral, you could probably send an email to department of marine resources ( i wouldn't include the pics in case its illegal to keep them) and ask what kind of puffer is known to live in the area. They might not eat coral though they have probably never seen coral and not know that they can eat it. I've seen other not reef friendly puffers be reef safe that were tank raised, it just depends on the fish. If i tried it, which i probably would and lose everything, I would keep them very well fed so they don't get curious and start picking at stuff. Let me know how it goes, i've caught them too and have always wondered.

[jason214]

Did u ever hear anything, iwas just curious??? let me know

[Amphiprion]

I just noticed this thread. Anyway, while I can't narrow it down to a species, I can tell you they are in the genus Sphoeroides. Do a google search and see if you can find one that matches. Or, if you could get a clearer pic of one, I could figure it out. The main reason is that I can't really pic out a defined color pattern, though I am leaning toward S. testudineus.

[jdmorgan20fan]

I let the two left go. I had them in a basket in my predator tank and one night noticed that my niger trigger must have gotten hungry and ripped a hole in the bottom of it and one was gone, i let the other ones go. I didn't want to chance them in my reef tank. They sure were frisky and ate brine shrimp like it was the only thing they had ever ate.

[Squirrelboy]

my uncle caught a pair the same way you did and my dad put him in the 20 hex I had set up for him, they didn't pick with fish but I didn't risk any invert with them, aside from sargassum dwelling crabs which they ate, o and the feather duster dad tried to drop in their despite my warning and they killed it as he was placing it, they would bury them selves leaving their eyes exposed when scared or when live prey ws introduced to the tank. They were very hardy and fun to watch but would have decimated your corals and prob wouldn't have escaped the Niger.