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A guide to the Tobies (Canthigaster) of the world

Discussion in 'General Zoo Discussion' started by Sicarius, 27 Nov 2023.

  1. Sicarius

    Sicarius Well-Known Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
    14 May 2018
    Posts:
    238
    Location:
    Belgium
    I have noticed over the past few years that the genus Canthigaster is the subject of confusion and many incorrect identifications. Several species like Canthigaster valentini or C. leoparda are easy to tell apart, but the problems start when it comes to the species complex of C. solandri. Down here I want to show you the different species in the aquarium trade or in public aquariums that are often mixed up.

    1) Let's start with the most common species from this species complex: Canthigaster petersii (Peter's toby). Despite that barely anyone is aware, this is the species you see most of all in captivity (next to C. valentini). It has the typical vertical lines at the upper part of the body, and the spots at the lower part, that flow over into a white belly. It has several stripes coming from its eyes and at least one or two lines that connect the two eyes together. This species has an orange tail. It's incorrectly called Canthigaster margaritata. This species is not kept in captivity to my knowledge. It has a far longer and more elongated snout.

    2) Next up is another common species that occasionally pops up in aquariums: the Canthigaster papua (Papuan toby). This species is bigger than the other members of this species complex. It's also more robust looking and lacks a nice streamlined shape. This species has smaller spots than C. petersii, and they are often more bluish rather than white. Besides that, the species does have lines at the upper part as well. The belly is however not yellow. The best characteristic of this species is its very orange mouth.

    3) A species that is completely overflowing with lines is Canthigaster compressa (Compressed toby). The lines are very close together, often even so small that they might appear as spots. No other species has its body so full of lines than this one. This makes it rather easy to tell apart from the others.

    4) The leader of the species complex is of course Canthigaster solandri (Spotted sharpnose puffer). This species is highly variable and difficult to identify. It's usually a fish that has spots only. It has a typical orange tail, similar to C. petersii. But C. solandri is less commonly kept in aquariums, although it occurs from time to time. The species also has a whitish belly, but the stripes are often very limited if there are any. The spots are of medium size, often surrounded by a black line.

    5) Another spotted master in disguise is Canthigaster punctatissima (Spotted sharpnose puffer). As the scientific name clearly suggests, the spots on this fish are everywhere. It's a more subtle fish of which these spots are not surrounded by black. The species has a yellow face and tail and lacks the strong colours of Canthigaster solandri. They are also rather big in size. It's a less common species, but a beauty nonetheless. The tail of this species is usually not spotted, which is also different from C. solandri. The Canthigaster punctatissima does not have the typical, big, black spot at the dorsal fin. Instead, the normal pattern continues here. This might be its greatest characteristic to tell it apart from the other species.

    6) The next toby is one that does have a lot of colour: Canthigaster janthinoptera (Honeycomb toby). In this case, it is the English name that really helps in figuring out how the species looks. The spots on this animal are far bigger, especially on the lower part of the body. It does not have a white belly, but instead, the pattern continues there and there is no area on the fish's body that comes closer to a honeycomb. The species has lines starting from the eyes as well, similar to Canthigaster petersii. These are the only lines, the back of the fish should only have spots, which makes it easy to tell apart from the Peter's Toby. The typical spot at the dorsal fin isn't necessarily black for C. janthinoptera either. It is however a big spot, but it happens to be brownish.

    7) Possibly the coolest of the whole bunch: Canthigaster jactator (Hawaiian whitespotted toby). Probably the rarest of them all as well. They are considered slightly more specialised fish from a different price category. This species has very big white spots, bigger than the spots of the previously mentioned species. Its body colour is brownish, often even purple. This is typical for the species. The white spots are very close together towards the tail of the fish. It does not have any lines at all, not even around the eyes.
     
    Sicarius, 27 Nov 2023
    #1
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