Pufferfish

Pufferfish are smart, curious and usually best kept alone, since most nip fins and many turn on tankmates. They span fresh, brackish and salt water, and nearly all need hard-shelled food like snails to wear down teeth that never stop growing. Each profile lists tank size, diet and temperament.

21 species

• 

  Amazon puffer

  Colomesus asellus

  4.7 in (12 cm)26 gal (100 L)72–82°F (22–28°C)
• Arrowhead Puffer

  Pao suvattii

  5.9 in (15 cm)26 gal (100 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)

• 

  Blue-Spotted Toby

  Canthigaster solandri

  4.7 in (12 cm)50 gal (189 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)

• 

  Ceylon puffer

  Dichotomyctere fluviatilis

  6.7 in (17 cm)34 gal (130 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)

• 

  Congo pufferfish

  Tetraodon miurus

  5.9 in (15 cm)26 gal (100 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)

• 

  Dogface Puffer

  Arothron nigropunctatus

  13 in (33 cm)151 gal (570 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)

• 

  Dwarf pufferfish

  Carinotetraodon travancoricus

  1.1 in (2.9 cm)15 gal (55 L)72–82°F (22–28°C)

• 

  Fahaka puffer

  Tetraodon lineatus

  17.7 in (45 cm)119 gal (450 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)

• 

  Figure Eight Puffer

  Tetraodon biocellatus

  3.1 in (8 cm)20 gal (75 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)
• Golden puffer

  Auriglobus modestus

  4.3 in (11 cm)22 gal (85 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)

• 

  Green spotted puffer

  Dichotomyctere nigroviridis

  5.9 in (15 cm)32 gal (120 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)

• 

  Guineafowl puffer

  Arothron meleagris

  19.7 in (50 cm)180 gal (680 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)

• 

  Hairy Puffer

  Tetraodon baileyi

  5.5 in (14 cm)26 gal (100 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)

• 

  Humpback Puffer

  Pao palembangensis

  7.9 in (20 cm)32 gal (120 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)
• Map puffer

  Arothron mappa

  23.6 in (60 cm)238 gal (900 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)

• 

  Mbu puffer

  Tetraodon mbu

  26.4 in (67 cm)396 gal (1,500 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)

• 

  Porcupine Puffer

  Diodon holocanthus

  11.8 in (30 cm)180 gal (680 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)

• 

  Red-tail dwarf puffer

  Carinotetraodon irrubesco

  1.8 in (4.5 cm)17 gal (65 L)72–82°F (22–28°C)

• 

  Redeye puffer

  Carinotetraodon lorteti

  2.4 in (6 cm)14 gal (54 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)

• 

  Stars-and-Stripes Puffer

  Arothron hispidus

  19.7 in (50 cm)180 gal (680 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)

• 

  Valentini Puffer

  Canthigaster valentini

  4.3 in (11 cm)30 gal (114 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)