TankBud

Figure eight puffer

Tetraodon biocellatus

FreshwaterBrackishFish

Figure eight puffer (Tetraodon biocellatus)
Robin Geyer · Public domain

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–79°F
22–26°C
pH
6.5–7.5
Adult size
3.1 in
8 cm
Minimum tank
20 gal
75 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Middle
Diet
Carnivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Family
Tetraodontidae
Origin
Cambodia, Malaysia, Borneo

Overview

The figure eight puffer is a small, mostly peaceful puffer that does best in a species tank. Its care is best left to a keeper with a little experience.

Did you know

The figure eight puffer gets its name from the looping golden and dark markings on its back. On many fish they trace a shape like the number eight. Each fish carries its own version of the pattern, so no two are marked quite the same.

Caring for the figure eight puffer

A single figure eight puffer is comfortable in a tank of at least 20 gal (75 L), with more room needed for a group. Give it hiding spots among driftwood and robust plants that tolerate a little salt. A soft substrate and gentle flow suit it.

Keep the temperature at 72 to 79°F (22 to 26°C) and the pH at 6.5 to 7.5. It does well in hard fresh water or lightly brackish conditions, so many keepers add a small amount of marine salt. Keep the water clean and stable.

Its teeth grow continuously, so feed hard-shelled foods such as snails and small shellfish. Add frozen bloodworms and shrimp as well.

The figure eight puffer is one of the more even-tempered brackish puffers, but it can still nip. In a larger tank you can sometimes keep a small group, or add fast, salt-tolerant tank mates. Watch for fin-nipping and be ready to separate troublemakers. Aquarium breeding is not established.

Good to know

The figure eight puffer is a member of the family Tetraodontidae. It is now formally placed in the genus Dichotomyctere, as Dichotomyctere ocellatus. The older name Tetraodon biocellatus is still widely used in the trade. Like all true puffers, it has fused, beak-like teeth and can inflate with water when startled. Fish in shops are wild caught.

In the wild

The figure eight puffer comes from the lower rivers, estuaries and floodplains of Cambodia, Malaysia and Borneo. It lives mostly in fresh water that turns slightly brackish near the coast.

From published sources

Tank mates

Fishkeeper (Maidenhead Aquatics) and Aqua-Fish.net keep the figure eight puffer in a tank of its own.

Common questions

What size tank does a figure eight puffer need?

A figure eight puffer needs at least 20 gal (75 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a figure eight puffer need?

A figure eight puffer is comfortable at 72–79°F (22–26°C) with a pH of 6.5–7.5.

What does a figure eight puffer eat?

A figure eight puffer eats hard-shelled foods such as snails and small shellfish, plus frozen bloodworms and shrimp. The hard foods matter because its teeth grow continuously.

How big does a figure eight puffer get?

An adult figure eight puffer reaches about 3.1 in (8 cm).

Can the figure eight puffer live with other fish?

Fishkeeper (Maidenhead Aquatics) and Aqua-Fish.net keep the figure eight puffer in a tank of its own.

Related species