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 caudal 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 light to dark gray. The upperparts are covered in various green to yellow patterns, ranging from lines to circles, dots to stripes. Each fish has its own unique pattern. The fins are gray. The iris ranges from yellow to blue in color. Size/Length: To 4" (10 cm) Similar species: Other Tetraodon species . Habitat: In coastal fresh waters-small streams and drainage ditches-in Southeast Asia; Burma (Myanmar), Thailand, Indonesia, Sumatra S: All Aquarium: A 30" (76 cm) or 20-25 gallon (76-114 L) tank is sufficient. Follow suggestions for T. biocellus. Water chemistry: pH 6.7-7.7 (7.0), 5-15 dH (10), 73-82°F (23-28°C) Social behavior: This aggressive species is intolerant of other fish. It may fight with other Puffers and nip at the fins of dissimilar species. Combine with sturdy companions. Suggested companions: Botia , Barbs, Danios, Gouramis, Asian Catfish, Synodontis. FOOD: Live; snails, Tubifex, crustaceans, insect larvae, earthworms; occasionally tablets SEX: Females larger when mature Breeding techniques: Unsuccessful in captivity, probably similar to T. nigroviridis Breeding potential: 10. This species has not been bred in captivity REMARKS: This is a freshwater species that should not be kept in brackish or salt water. Difficulty of care: 6. This aggressive species requires frequent partial water changes and 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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Copyright Rhett Butler 1994-2009 The copy for fish.mongabay.com was written in 1994-1995. Therefore some information such as scientific names may be out of date. For this, I apologize. Feel free to send corrections to me. |
