As makeovers go, there's nothing too unusual about a strict diet and a spot of dental surgery - unless you're a fish.

The patient being restored to peak physical condition after too many ill-advised binges is a tropical puffer fish.

The fish had piled on the flab and grown a set of goofy teeth after tucking into an unhealthy diet.

Puffer fish are supposed to gnaw through hard shells of mussels, cockles and crustacea, to keep the teeth naturally filed.

For some reason, this puffer from Portslade stuck to softer fishy foodstuffs and ended up with fangs and a swollen belly.

The sharp-nosed puffer's owners took him and aquatic companions to the Fishey Business shop in Boundary Road, Hove, and left them there.

Worried staff realised the Valentini Puffer, usually found in the Red Sea and the Great Barrier Reef, desperately needed a dental consultation.

Vet Guy Liebenberg was the man for the job, just two doors away at Coastway Vets.

Guy, who spent more than 20 years in South Africa treating big cats, giraffes and other exotic animals, arrived at the fish shop armed with an array of tools.

These include clippers more commonly used to treat rabbits' teeth and a file.

Fishey Business manager Simon Warrener said: "The puffer was not happy at all. The vet put it in a net and brought it to the surface."

Guy said: "We had no choice but to trim its teeth, otherwise the fish would soon lose the ability to feed.

"Unfortunately every time I tried to lift the fish from the water, it puffed up, which is what they do in the wild to defend themselves."

Simon said: "Once the work had been done, he went to the bottom of his tank and sulked for a few days but he is feeding again now.

"When he came to us he had a big round belly.

"Puffers will gorge themselves because they have elastic stomachs but we're going to make him work for his food from now. We'll hide it in a rock so he has to bite at it as well as the cockles and shellfish."

Until the fish's feeding habits return to normal, he will have to undergo further dental work as his teeth grow continually.

If he sticks to the strict feeding regime and looks after his teeth, the shop may look for a new home for him.

Coastway's exotic pets club will be opening to the public in January and anyone interested in joining should call 01273 426100.