Crested puffer

Care at a glance

Overview

The crested puffer, also sold as the red-striped puffer, is a small but aggressive species that is best kept alone; it does not tolerate its own kind and will bite tankmates, so a species tank is the sensible default and any companions are a risk to treat with caution. It works the middle and lower water. Its beak grows continuously, so feed hard-shelled foods such as small snails and shrimp, along with other meaty frozen foods, to keep it worn down. Give it hard, alkaline water, driftwood and rock cover, and clean, stable conditions. A tank of around 110 liters or more suits a single adult.

In the wild

This species comes from the lowland rivers and coastal streams of southern New Guinea, some of them tidal, where the water tends to be hard and alkaline. Recreate that with a sand floor, driftwood and rock, gentle to moderate flow, and clean water. Keep it warm at about 24 to 28 C and neutral to alkaline, roughly pH 6.8 to 8, with low nitrate.

Good to know

A member of the pufferfish family Tetraodontidae, it reaches only about 8.5 centimeters. It carries a bright orange to red stripe running the length of a dark flank, the marking behind its common names. It was formerly placed in the genus Tetraodon and now sits in Dichotomyctere. Aquarium breeding is not recorded.

Did you know

A single bright orange line runs the length of its dark body like trim along the side of a car, which is why the same little puffer is also traded as the red-striped toadfish and the samurai puffer.

Common questions

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