Fahaka puffer

Care at a glance

Overview

A fahaka needs its own tank, as it is highly aggressive and will attack almost any tankmate. An adult around 45 cm requires at least 450 litres with strong filtration, water at 24 to 28 C and pH 7.0 to 8.0. It is very sensitive to ammonia and nitrite, so keep the water spotless. Feed hard-shelled foods such as snails, mussel, prawn and crab to grind down the ever-growing beak.

In the wild

The fahaka puffer is a large river puffer with a striped body that brightens when it is active. It is a solitary, intelligent fish that learns to recognise its keeper. In the wild it patrols vegetated riverbanks crushing snails and shellfish.

Good to know

Tetraodon lineatus lives across the Nile and other major African rivers and reaches around 45 cm. It can inflate its body with water as a defence and carries tetrodotoxin in its tissues. Its beak of four fused teeth grows constantly and must be worn down.

Did you know

Fahaka puffers are famous for their personalities and will follow a keeper around the room, yet they defend their tank so fiercely that almost no tankmate survives.

Related species

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  Hairy Puffer

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  Ceylon puffer

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• 

  Green spotted puffer

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