TankBud

Abei puffer

Pao abei

Also known as Tetraodon abei

FreshwaterFish

Abei puffer (Pao abei)
The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–82°F
24–28°C
pH
6.0–7.5
Adult size
4.7 in
12 cm
Minimum tank
42 gal
160 L
Temperament
Aggressive
Social behavior
Solitary
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Middle
Diet
Carnivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Substrate spawner
Rarity
Rare
Family
Tetraodontidae
Origin
Mekong basin

Overview

The Abei puffer is a territorial freshwater ambush puffer, best kept alone in a species tank. It suits keepers with a little experience.

Did you know

The Abei puffer's genus name, Pao, comes from pla pao, the Thai and Lao name for pufferfish. It translates roughly as purse fish, a nod to the way a threatened puffer swells its body like a drawstring bag.

Caring for the Abei puffer

Give a single Abei puffer a tank of at least 42 gal (160 L), with a soft sand bed it can settle into. Add some driftwood and planted cover, and keep the flow gentle. It sits and waits in the lower and middle water, often settled into the sand.

Keep the water clean, stable and well filtered, with low nitrate. Hold it at 75 to 82°F (24 to 28°C), from mildly acidic to neutral at pH 6.0 to 7.5.

Like all puffers, its beak grows continuously. Feed hard-shelled foods such as snails, clams, mussel and shrimp to keep it worn down, alongside other meaty frozen foods.

It is aggressive and territorial, does not tolerate its own kind and will bite tank mates. Any companions are a risk to treat with great caution. Like other members of the genus Pao, it is a substrate spawner in which the male guards the eggs. Breeding is not recorded in home aquaria.

Good to know

The Abei puffer is a freshwater member of the pufferfish family Tetraodontidae. It is patterned with pale or orange spots on a dark body. It was formerly placed in the genus Tetraodon.

In the wild

The Abei puffer comes from the Mekong basin. It lives over sandy and muddy floors in slow to moderate stretches of river and on flooded ground.

Common questions

What size tank does an Abei puffer need?

An Abei puffer needs at least 42 gal (160 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does an Abei puffer need?

An Abei puffer is comfortable at 75–82°F (24–28°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.5.

What does an Abei puffer eat?

An Abei puffer eats hard-shelled foods such as snails, clams, mussel and shrimp, which keep its growing beak worn down. It also takes other meaty frozen foods.

How big does an Abei puffer get?

An adult Abei puffer reaches about 4.7 in (12 cm).

How does an Abei puffer breed?

The Abei puffer is a substrate spawner, and the male guards the eggs. Breeding is not recorded in home aquaria.

Related species