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Yes you can. It is a defense mechanism (as in an obstacle to being eaten), and even if it doesn't kill the puffer, it clearly causes tremendous stress. Very politically incorrect.
Yes you can. It is a defense mechanism (as in an obstacle to being eaten), and even if it doesn't kill the puffer, it clearly causes tremendous stress. Very politically incorrect.
Just truly curious. Would you say that if you came across one that was puffed that you should just leave it alone? Even if you didn't do anything to cause it to get puffed would the act of getting close enough to photo it while it is in the puffed state be considered harrassing it?
Just truly curious. Would you say that if you came across one that was puffed that you should just leave it alone? Even if you didn't do anything to cause it to get puffed would the act of getting close enough to photo it while it is in the puffed state be considered harrassing it?
It takes them a long time to deflate. Now that I know about the mechanism, I think if I came across one that was inflated, I would personally leave it alone. I don't think that taking a picture of the fish in that state would significantly increase its stress; I would avoid the photograph simply because I don't like seeing the animal in that condition.
I don't make them "puff" either, and as a matter of fact have never seen one in the water "puffed". Good enough for me to believe that they can. Now if only I could "un-puff" myself a bit...
HAVE you CLICKED HERE and voted for Kevin Metz to be the DM of the Year - Just some pictures from a photographic non-achiever Diving My Way - my non-professional website "It is better to remain silent and appear dumb, than to speak and remove all doubt." -- Winston Churchill --
To the OP, I hope you have changed your mind on wanting a photo of a puffed puffer after reading others posts. Some people think it's fun to do it, and a couple years ago slapped somebody underwater once when I saw them do it. In his defense, he grew up in and on the water and back then (70's and early 80's) it was ignorance on most peoples part of the harm/stress it was causing. Things we did as kids we would never let our kids do today. It's not right or OK to harm or harrass an animal (or human for that matter) just for our self gratification.
Just truly curious. Would you say that if you came across one that was puffed that you should just leave it alone? Even if you didn't do anything to cause it to get puffed would the act of getting close enough to photo it while it is in the puffed state be considered harrassing it?
I would leave it alone. To be honest they do not puff up for no reason, you generally have to work pretty hard to get them to do it. In other words just poking at it won't do the trick, you have to grab and restrain it. One that is inflated is really upset, it may "go off" again at the slightest provocation. This defense mechanism leaves them weakened, and if they are forced to inflate repeatedly it can and has killed them all on its own.
In my experience puffers are naturally curious and never stress when photographed, unless you tried to manuever it or kept intercepting it, or keep trying to get super close with a macro lens. Carefully done you can "work" these fish without causing them much if any stress, and sometimes I have had them come right up to me and my camera with no intent on my part at all. Once, even though I love them and am constantly trying for shots like Aussie Byron takes, I was getting annoyed because I was trying to shoot something else and a puffer kept getting in front of my camera. Not sure if he was expecting food or trying for celebrity status but I had to make an effort to get away from him!
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