Medical Zoa,
I apologize for the problem with the "Starting At Price" that we list on the Category Pages of the LiveAquaria.com web site. This issue has been resolved, as well as the addition of the proper species name to replace sp. on our site, and I appreciate you bringing this to our attention.
Common names for marine fish can sometimes be confusing, as it is commonplace where one common name is applied to several different species of fish. More often than not when this happens the fish appear at first glance to look the same, but are usually two different and distinct species. Such is the case with the common name Saddle Puffer.
There are actually two different fish, from two different regions of the world with this common name. The most common Saddle Puffer is Canthigaster valentini. The fish is very common in the aquarium trade with its vast range that spreads all throughout the Indo Pacific, Central and South Pacific, west into the Indian Ocean to East African and North to the Red Sea. We try and differentiate this species by calling it the Saddle Valentini Puffer, and its most recognizable feature is its more compressed body, and slightly different markings.
The other Saddle Puffer Canthigaster coronata is not nearly as common and has a more limited range than the Saddle Valentini Puffer. This fish is much harder to come by in the aquarium trade, and is normally only available from Hawaiian suppliers in very limited numbers. The fish can be distinguished by its more elongated body, longer snout and slightly different markings. The cost of this fish is significantly higher than that of the Saddle Valentini Puffer, and the retail price of this species is reflected accordingly.
I have checked around a bit to see if Canthigaster coronatais offered for sale by some of the more popular eCommerce suppliers of marine fish, and couldn’t find one company that offer this Hawaiian endemic, as they are much more difficult to come by.
I hope this better explains the reasoning behind the pricing of these two incredible fish. Thank you for your patience.
Regards,
Kevin Kohen
Director of LiveAquaria
Drs. Foster and Smith
