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Others
/ Tetraodontidae / Spotted Green Pufferfish
Green Pufferfish, Spotted Green Puffer, Spotted River Puffer, Round Spotted Puffer
Tetraodon nigroviridis | Pictures
Synonyms: Arothron
dorsovittatus, A. simulans, Carinotetraodon fluviatilis, Crayracion fluviatilis, Dichotomycter fluviatilis, Tetraodon
fluviatilis, Tetrodon fluviatilis, T. nigroviridis, T. simulans
Physical description: A stocky fish with a broad forehead and protruding eyes.
The dorsal and anal fins are rounded
and located opposite each other.
The tail is fan-shaped. The skin is leathery and covered with small spines.
When
inflated these spines stick out; rendering the fish un-swallowable.
The colors vary based on the age and
the habitat of the specimen.
The belly is white in color while the upperparts are yellow to green.
The upperparts are spotted with black
to brown spots.
These spots have a small yellow ring surrounding each one. The fins are yellow but transparent.
The
iris ranges from yellow to blue in color.
Size/Length: To 8" (20 cm)
Similar species: Other Tetraodon
species.
Habitat: In coastal fresh and brackish waters in Asia and Southeast Asia; India, Sri Lanka,
Burma (Myanmar), Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
S: All
Aquarium: A 32" (80 cm) or 30 gallon (114 L)
tank is sufficient.
Follow suggestions for
T. biocellus.
Water chemistry: pH 7.0-8.2 (7.4), 10-20 dH (12), 75-84°F (24-29°C).
A 1-2% addition of salt is suggested.
Add
7.5-15 TSP. of salt to every 10 gallons (10-20 g/10 L).
Social behavior: Young individuals are usually peaceful.
Older specimens are territorial and
aggressive.
All ages are aggressive towards their own, and similar species.
Best kept alone, but can be combined
in a community tank, with hardy, brackish fish of similar sizes.
This Puffer will attack plants and may nip the
fins of other fish.
Males may fight to the death, so monitor fights closely.
Suggested companions: Arius,
Monodactylus, Scatophagus, Toxotes, Datnioides
FOOD: Live; snails,
Tubifex, crustaceans, insect larvae, earthworms;
occasionally tablets
SEX: Unknown
Breeding techniques: Difficult, has only been accomplished in brackish water. Spawning takes place after
courtship near the bottom.
The pale, clear eggs are laid on rocks or on the substrate.
The male guards these.
The fry hatch in 6-7 days and are taken
to a small pit on the bottom, where the male continues to guard them.
The fry do not take most foods and are
consequently very difficult to raise. Suggest newly hatched Brine Shrimp,
Cyclops nauplii, or mosquito larvae.
Breeding potential: 9.
Breeding is very difficult and is unusual.
REMARKS: Does best in brackish water and can live up to 10 years in captivity.
Difficulty of care: 6.
This aggressive brackishwater species requires live foods.
Recent articles about fish
Overfishing may hurt Amazon forest trees
(2/5/2008) Overfishing is reducing the effectiveness of seed dispersal by fish in the Brazilian Pantanal, reports Nature. The research suggests that fishing practices can affect forest health.
Scientists find fish that literally lives in trees
(10/17/2007) Scientists have found a fish that literally lives in trees, according to research published in The American Naturalist and highlighted in New Scientist Magazine.
Piranhas originated when Amazon was flooded by seawater
(12/4/2007) South America's piranha family of fish -- notorious as eaters of flesh -- can be traced back to a single ancestor which dispersed when the Amazon was flooded by seawater some five million years ago, report researchers from the Institut de Recherche Pour le Developpement (IRD). Today piranhas are exclusively freshwater fish found from the Orinoco River basin in Venezuela to the Parana in Argentina.
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