Cross River puffer

Tetraodon pustulatus

Also known as Pustulatus puffer, Red-line puffer

FreshwaterFish

Cross River puffer (Tetraodon pustulatus) — no rights reserved · cc0

Care at a glance

Temperature: 75–82°F (24–28°C)
pH: 6.5–7.5
Adult size: 14.2 in (36 cm)
Minimum tank: 119 gal (450 L)
Temperament: Aggressive
Social behavior: Solitary
Tankmates: Tankmates with caution
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: No record
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Cross River basin, Nigeria and Cameroon
Family: Tetraodontidae

Overview

The Cross River puffer is a large, aggressive African puffer that needs a big tank to itself; it does not tolerate its own kind and will attack tankmates, so plan on a solitary show fish and treat any companions as a real risk. It works the middle and lower water and grows to around 36 centimeters, which is why it needs so much space. Its strong beak grows continuously, so feed a shellfish-heavy diet of snails, clams, mussel, prawn, and crab to wear it down. Give it clean, well-filtered water with low nitrate and open swimming room. A tank of at least 450 liters is a realistic minimum for an adult.

In the wild

This puffer is found only in the Cross River system of southeastern Nigeria and southwestern Cameroon, in clear, shaded rainforest streams and channels. Give it a soft sand floor, driftwood, and some shade, with steady filtration and clean water. Keep it warm at about 24 to 28 C and close to neutral, roughly pH 6.5 to 7.5, with very low nitrate.

Good to know

A member of the pufferfish family Tetraodontidae, it reaches about 36 centimeters, making it one of the largest freshwater puffers. It is one of the few species still held in the true genus Tetraodon after most of its former relatives were moved elsewhere. It is cream-spotted with red lines along the flank, and it is listed as Endangered in the wild. Aquarium breeding is not recorded.

Did you know

Restricted to a single river system, the Cross River puffer is both one of the rarest freshwater puffers in the hobby and Endangered in the wild, so any adult on sale represents a genuinely scarce fish.