Strange dark line on Green Spotted Puffer

[wrek]

I know these guys go light to dark on a whim etc., but I've never seen them go dark vertically like this in one spot. Usually it's the underbelly or the lateral but always horizontal patterns.

 

[Pufferpunk]

Is it there all the time or just on occasion? He looks a bit thin.

 

[wrek]

It's a new mark on him... he's sleeping now but it looks to be faded a bit already. He is a little thin, he got sick before acclimating him to salt from fresh over the last couple of weeks. - We started the process the day we got him home.

He was fresh when we purchased him of course... he doesn't have the voracious appetite he had but he's getting better. @#* @#!* walmart for selling these poor things to people as fresh water puffers.

 

[Pufferpunk]

What foods are you offering him? Live earthworms will fatten him up, if he doesn't have internal parasites in him.

 

[wrek]

I am feeding him dried blood worms, mysis shrimp and plankton with treats being white wax worms.

 

[Amphiprion]

I can't say it is necessarily applicable to this species or genus, but Arothron sp. pufferfishes will get dark spots, patches, and/or lines in response to degraded water quality or irritation--sometimes after the fact. I've also seen this happen for no apparent reason and take a very, very long time to go away. Unfortunately, I can't offer a solid explanation or cure, other than make sure that additives are minimal (for risk of irritating sensitive tissues), water quality is as high as possible, and the puffer feeds well.

 

[wrek]

Yeah, we sometimes see him go from white to black or black to white for no reason other than because he can apparently.. he does it very quickly, usually in 2-3 minutes. He also likes to practice his puffing now and then. Great character on this guy.