Review and images by JimoAi; edited by bmathison1972
Pufferfish and porcupinefish belong to the order Tetraodontiformes, which also includes the ocean sunfish, spikefish, file and triggerfish, and the box and cowfish. They can be found in marine, brackish, or freshwater environments depending on the species (porcupinefish are only in marine environments) and are characterised by their ability to ‘puff up’ when threatened. Some get to only 2 cm when fully grown while others get up to 120 cm. Some species are kept in the aquarium trade whilst some are a delicacy in parts of the world, although if not prepared properly, they can be lethal. The subject of today’s review will be on a species kept in home aquariums: the dog-faced puffer (Arothron nigropunctatus), produced by Epoch for the Earth Life Journey line.
About the figure: this figure measures 5 cm long from the snout to the tailfin, putting it at the 1:6.6 scale, as the species can attain a length of 33 cm. The figure is sculpted turning to the side, probably foraging for clams and other hard-shelled prey which this species feeds on. There’s a hole in the belly in which the figure pegs on the base, which I do not have.
The figure is painted in a bright yellow main body with a pale yellow underbelly and glossed out. Numerous black spots adorn the main body with brown highlights on the fins, snout, and parts of the eye. Speaking of the eye, the figure is sculpted in a way in which it looks like it has independent eyes, like a chameleon, a trait which real pufferfish possess. The figure is appropriately smooth and lacks a lateral line and the beak is sculpted and painted white. There are subtle wrinkles under the pectoral fins and where the fish is making a turn and the fin rays are sculpted.
The fin count is correct, however the anal fin is too far back compared to the dorsal fin. I also feel that this snout is way too elongated, even though this species is known to have a longer snout compared to other puffers, hence the name ‘dog-faced’. The last issue I have with this figure is the brown on the fins should only be on the edges, not on the middle.
Overall, not the most accurate, but a welcome addition to anyone’s plastic aquarium, considering it’s rare to get new bony fish species, especially how companies are less willing to take risks in today’s climate. This figure was long retired and is hard to come by, but despite that it’s not overly expense compared to the Yujin or the Kaiyodo aquarium figures. It’s also worth noting that there is a grey and blue variant of the figure which is more common and represents the ‘typical’ form of the fish. Yowie also made a dog-faced puffer, albeit more stylized and rarer.
Happy to see you reviewing again.
I concur with Gwangi!
Also, while editing this post, I checked and I have the blue/grey version of this figure. When researching the species for this post, I was happy to learn the blue/grey morphotype is the ‘typical’ form and this yellow form is less common.