Puffing and Punching: Valentini Puffers vs. Porcupine Puffers!

Puffing and Punching: Valentini Puffers vs. Porcupine Puffers! Which do you prefer?

  • Valentini Pufferfish!

    Votes: 25 32.5%
  • Porcupine Pufferfish!

    Votes: 36 46.8%
  • There is no way I can choose...

    Votes: 16 20.8%

  • Total voters
    77

AlyciaMarie

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Pufferfish have to have one of the cutest and funniest defense mechanisms in all of the sea! But don't let these pokey swimming balloons fool you... They're not to be trifled with when they get their fins ruffled!

Puffing and Punching: Valentini Puffers vs. Porcupine Puffers! Which do you prefer?

Versus-11.png
 

Jay Hemdal

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Pufferfish have to have one of the cutest and funniest defense mechanisms in all of the sea! But don't let these pokey swimming balloons fool you... They're not to be trifled with when they get their fins ruffled!

Puffing and Punching: Valentini Puffers vs. Porcupine Puffers! Which do you prefer?

Versus-11.png

Then, there is a filefish that mimics the Valentini puffer:

Mimic filefish: Two species of filefish mimic toby puffers; Paraluteres prionurus is an excellent mimic of the Black-saddled toby, Canthigaster valentini. The Andaman filefish, Paraluteres arquat mimics a more generalized “spotted toby”. Up to 5% of a school of these puffers may actually be mimic filefish (Fishbase 1999). It is supposed that the filefish gain protection from predators that normally avoid eating the potentially toxic toby puffers. However, there is some argument that both the toby and the filefish gain protection by resembling one another. Some predators are obviously able to prey on tobies but filefish have their own anti-predator defense, sharp dorsal and anal spines. With a relatively high 5% of a school possessing sharp spines, most predators would pass on trying to make a meal of any fish in the group. In addition, while the toby puffers that are supposed to be the “models” have some characteristics of the mimic, they have skin folds that resemble the filefish spines, and they are thinner than other species of toby, more resembling thin filefish.
 

Jay Hemdal

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I had forgotten about this - I had co-authored an article on pufferfish for Aquarium Fish Magazine over 20 years ago. I did a quick update and reposted it in the article section here:

 

LPS Bum

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I have both, in different systems, but the Porc is way more of a pain. They get huge, are very aggressive at meal time, and love to splash water out of the tank.
 

vlangel

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I love all puffers and they all have their own charm. Since I have a 56g tank I can only choose one of the smaller sharpnose puffers like a valentini but they are all cool.
 

Reef Wizard

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Pufferfish have to have one of the cutest and funniest defense mechanisms in all of the sea! But don't let these pokey swimming balloons fool you... They're not to be trifled with when they get their fins ruffled!

Puffing and Punching: Valentini Puffers vs. Porcupine Puffers! Which do you prefer?

Versus-11.png
Question for those who DO have a valentini
Is yours (Mostly) reef safe?

I know someone with one and he says his never bothers the corals?
 

InvoluntaryReefer

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Valentini personality:
You have to ask this question?!
Looks in your direction awkwardly like you've offended them as they slowly spin to the rear and scoot away.

Incredibly smart, to a fault.

Porcupine personality:
Hunam bring food for me?! Love Hunams, they bring food.

Still incredibly smart, but like to play dufus.

Have had both. Present residents are a Dogface and a Valentini.
 

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