TankBud

Target puffer

Pao leiurus

Also known as Tetraodon leiurus, Smooth-tailed target puffer

FreshwaterFish

Target puffer (Pao leiurus)
(c) Sahat Ratmuangkhwang, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–82°F
24–28°C
pH
6.0–7.5
Adult size
6.3 in
16 cm
Minimum tank
53 gal
200 L
Temperament
Aggressive
Social behavior
Solitary
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Middle
Diet
Carnivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Family
Tetraodontidae
Origin
Mekong and Chao Phraya basins

Overview

The target puffer is a classic ambush puffer for a species tank. It is best for a keeper who has kept fish before.

Did you know

The target puffer's dark, ringed flank spot looks like a painted bull's-eye and gives it the target name. Its species name, leiurus, means smooth-tailed and describes the plain, unmarked base of the tail.

Caring for the target puffer

Give the target puffer a tank of at least 53 gal (200 L), which suits a single adult. Lay a soft sand floor it can settle into, with driftwood and rock for cover. It rests on the bottom and waits in the lower and middle water for prey to pass.

Keep the water clean, stable and well filtered, with gentle to moderate flow. Hold it warm at 75 to 82°F (24 to 28°C) and mildly acidic to neutral, at a pH of 6.0 to 7.5, with low nitrate.

Feed hard-shelled foods such as snails, clams and shrimp, along with other meaty frozen items. The hard shells keep its beak worn down.

The target puffer has a quick temper, so keep it alone. It does not tolerate its own kind and will attack tank mates, which makes a species tank the safe default. Any companions are a real risk. Aquarium breeding is not recorded.

Good to know

The target puffer is a member of the pufferfish family Tetraodontidae. Like all puffers, it has a beak that grows throughout life. It was formerly placed in the genus Tetraodon and now sits in Pao.

In the wild

The target puffer lives over sandy floors in the rivers and reservoirs of the Mekong and Chao Phraya basins, in mainland Southeast Asia.

Common questions

What size tank does a target puffer need?

A target puffer needs at least 53 gal (200 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a target puffer need?

A target puffer is comfortable at 75–82°F (24–28°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.5.

What does a target puffer eat?

A target puffer eats hard-shelled foods such as snails, clams and shrimp, plus other meaty frozen items. The shells keep its beak worn down.

How big does a target puffer get?

An adult target puffer reaches about 6.3 in (16 cm).

Related species