Balloonfish or Burrfish?

[HowardE]

Sure... They all Puff when shaken :laughing:

:joke: (seriously - don't try this at home)

The porcupinefish is also generally larger than the baloonfish (like the baloonfish you saw on our reef Jam) - and the porcupinefish is responsible for taking a DM's finger off (because the DM tried to puff it)

and as usual, Rick is correct... I am basing my ID's on the Humann Book. But also if you google these names, you'll find them.

They are all fish that puff.

 

[scubagirl47]

Hey all,

This fish has been the subject of a bit of confusion and debate from me.
I've it had it identified alternately as a Balloonfish or Burrfish...

Any thoughts as to what it actually is??

Thanks in advance.

 

[scubagirl47]

This is a Balloonfish. The burrfish has fine lines on the lips or larger black bars not concentric

 

[Ricardo V.]

Here is a Striped Burfish

And this other one is a Spotted Burfish

 

[Trailboss123]

Here is a Striped Burfish
View attachment 434465

And this other one is a Spotted Burfish
View attachment 434466

Nice Pics Ricardo! - The only Burrfish I have ever seen was a striped one while diving on Klein Bonaire a year and a half ago. Dive site was Rock Pile on the southern end of the island.

 

[Ricardo V.]

Thank you @Trailboss123,
We have them in FL too. Both Spotted and Striped are from Bonaire.

 

[drbill]

WillDive4Food was the first to get it right... it is a balloonfish, not a baloonfish! Yep, I'm a spelling nazi.

Of course it is in the pufferfish family (Tetraodontidae)

 

[kaerius]

Looks like a black-blotched porcupinefish (Diodon liturosus) to me, except the spines are a different colour, possibly a regional variation(as I've only dived with them in south and southeast asia, indian and pacific oceans).