Difference between Guinea Fowl Puffer and Spotted Boxfish?

[physicslord]

I was argueing with someone on the plane back from Maui as to whether the spotted boxfish is related to (or same thing as) the so-called Guinea Fowl Puffer. There's a lot of them around Wailea. They seem pretty friendly too.
Can anyone settle this debate?

 

[stevebydac]

They are completely different fish and only distantly related. The spotted boxfish is Ostracion meleagris. The guinea fowl puffer is Arothron meleagris (see my avatar for a rare golden version of the latter). Google them and see/read the differences.

 

[RGBMatt]

Boxfish and puffers are both members of the order Tetraodontiformes, but belong to different families. They are sort of related, but are distinctly different kinds of fish.