Dwarf pufferfish
Carinotetraodon travancoricus
2.5 cm
Adult size
40 L
Minimum volume
4
Minimum group
4 years
Lifespan
Water parameters
Understand these values- Genus
- Carinotetraodon
- Diet
- carnivore
- Social life
- small group
In the wild
Overview
Probably the smallest of the pufferfish (under 2.5 cm), also called the “Malabar puffer”. Popular for its face and its surprising way of swimming, it is often sold without the information needed to care for it, and it is listed as vulnerable.
- Scientific name
- Carinotetraodon travancoricus (Hora & Nair, 1941)
- Classification
- Tetraodontiformes › Tetraodontidae
- IUCN Red List
- Vulnerable (VU)
Natural habitat
India: endemic to Kerala
Observations (GBIF) and localities Native countries Rivers and lakes
Strictly a freshwater fish, it lives in the slow, heavily vegetated waters of inland Kerala.
Behaviour
Poorly suited to a community tank: it nips the fins of slow fish and is outcompeted at feeding time by lively species. It is best kept in a species tank, possibly with Otocinclus. It needs small shelled snails to wear down its ever-growing teeth, and live or frozen prey. Very sensitive to water quality.
Sources:FishBase Seriously Fish GBIF · Base map: Natural Earth