Porcupine Puffers

[dacia]

This may be a dumb question...but I love porcupine puffers and I am going to get one for my large tank this year. There is just something that I don't know about them...
What makes them puff out? Is it a good thing or a bad thing when they do it? I've only ever seen pictures of it and I've seen them for sale at little beach shops all puffed out.
Just curious.

 

[killafins]

they have a swim bladder which is kind of more sever than average fish. Yous ee, fish use these swim bladders to change their bouyancy so they can rise and fall.... pretty uninteresting eh? (i find it fanatically entertaining info).
Neways, basically the fish tans the oxygen from there blood to blow up their swim bladder, they then release it back into the blood when they are going down. Well, that's how it works with a puffer too... they just have a bigger swim bladder. However, they gasp in order to do this almost like us trying to hold are breath in order to run as much water through there gills so that they can take the 0xygen into the bladder.

 

[karajay]

They puff up in response to a threat. I have heard that you must be careful not to let them attempt to puff up if you have them out of water or they will puff up and not be able to deflate (that must be terribly uncomfortable, no?) Anyway, I had one and never once saw it puff up.

 

[bdhough]

You have to really threaten them to puff up. I've caught one before and except for some frantic swimming didn't even inflate at all. Just be very gentle with them and you should'nt have any problems

 

[killafins]

What makes them puff out? Is it a good thing or a bad thing when they do it?
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srry, didnt' realize ur question was that simple
it's a defense mechanism.... it's pretty bad when they do it. last time mine puffed up was when it was bit by an eel and was flanging about... it was really sad... that was a few days ago