Stripebelly Puffer ???

[Charlie99]

Low res photo of what I think is a stripebelly puffer. Higher res version and some other angles in my gallery.

Looks like a normal puffer, but very strange shape of lower body.

Pregnant? Simply just one deformed individual? Wrong ID?

Photos are from this morning's Enenui drift dive, backside of Molokini, Maui. About 60'. Length is about 16-20" .... on the large side if it is a stripebelly.

Thanks in advance,

Charlie

 

[SueMermaid]

That looks to me like a very emaciated puffer, whatever the species it is.

 

[archman]

I'd call it deformed.

 

[gr8fulr2]

it is an emaciated satars and stripes puffer

 

[Charlie99]

That looks to me like a very emaciated puffer, whatever the species it is.

Duh. That's the obvious possibility that I hadn't thought of since it was moving and feeding normally. I'm not too certain of their internal structure but emaciation could easily account for the strange body shape.


gr8fulr2: Stars and Stripes is the alternate common name for the Stripebelly Puffer / 'o'pu-hue / Arothron hispidus.


Thanks,

Charlie