Mappa Puffer experiences

Leslie · #1 06/29/2004, 01:09 AM

Hi Guys,

The LFS has what they are calling a Mappa Puffer Arothron mappa. a juvenile I assume. It's about 2 inches. It is quite a looker.

Are the juveniles easily distinguished from the Stary Puffer Arothron stellatus. I have heard a couple of stories of folks who thought they bought a Mappa and ended up with a Stary.

I am wondering how many of you have kept them, how you liked them, how big they get in captivity, ( books all list 25 to 27").
how quickly they grow and any thing else you might want to share.

I know they need a huge tank and I am just in the planning stages.

Thanks,

Leslie

nickiwit · #2 06/29/2004, 01:51 AM

Leslie,

I have a Starry puffer and had a Mappa puffer. My mappa just died recently while we were out of town. Starry bit one of his eyes out so we put him in QT. The eye was healing then he got some weird parasite that we could not cure. It was pretty sad we had him for about three years.

We bought Starry as a juv. and Mappa as an adult. They actually look very different right now. Starry is yellow with black spots and Mappa is black with white spots and swirls around his eyes.

Starry is growing very fast. He started off much smaller then the other fish now he is out growing them.

I like mappa better. They do not get as big and in my opinion have more personality. They are not very social with other fish.

I would buy that mappa in a heart beat. You do not find them very often. How much is the lfs asking for it?

Leslie · #3 06/29/2004, 03:09 AM

Hi,

Thanks for the reply. Sorry about your Mappa.

This fish is vibrant golden yellow with black irregular srtipes.

They want 90.00. It is very friendly.....it was begging to come home with me the last few times I was in there.

Leslie

nickiwit · #4 06/29/2004, 08:41 PM

Mappa and Starry look somewhat similar as juv. It sounds like that Mappa is a juv.

I forgot to tell you that our Mappa would get moody and go bite other fish for no apparent reason. He liked to bite Starry and Starry would bite him back. That is how he got his eye bit out. Starry does not bother anyone. He just sits there all day. Mappa would swim more and around feeding time he would jerk back and forth in front of the tank.

$90 sounds fairly reasonable. I have seen them for a lot more online. We paid about $70 for ours and it was a little bigger.

Leslie · #5 06/30/2004, 12:48 AM

I took a few photos and sent them to 2 friends and the Puffer is a Starry.

I think I will pass they get a tad to big for me

Thanks

FMarini · #6 06/30/2004, 09:21 AM

Les-
your summation reflect what i would have told you. I too love the look of a juvie mappa puffers. In fact a LFS has a $40 juvie which was almost too hard to pas up. These are extremely personable and cool puffers. However as juvies they are fairly touchy and require some vigilence. That said, my recollection is they get huge, bigger than 2 ft and a 240-300gal tank might work out once its starts to grow. I don't recall where i dove and saw one perusing a rock bed and i have to say its was way bigger than 2 ft.
frank