All fish / Tetraodontidae

Striped Red-eye Puffer

Carinotetraodon salivator

Also known as striped red eye puffer, red-eye puffer, salivator puffer, borneo red eye puffer, sarawak puffer, buntal, カリノテトラオドン・サリヴァトール, 沙捞越红眼河豚

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A small puffer from the clear streams of Sarawak, with red eyes, a mottled brown to greenish back and dark lengthwise stripes on the flanks. Males show brighter colours and can raise a ridge on the back and belly when displaying. Keepers value it for its character and active behaviour in a tank of its own.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Aggressive

Adult size

5 cm

Temperature

22 to 27 °C

pH

5.5 to 7

Smallest tank

60 litres

Keep as

Best kept singly or one male with several females in a well planted tank

Diet

Carnivore: small snails, bloodworm, brine shrimp, mosquito larvae and other frozen or live foods

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

4 to 6 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Sarawak, Borneo (Malaysia)

Breeding

Eggs are scattered among fine-leaved plants or moss after a short courtship, and the male may guard the area for a while. It has been bred in home aquariums, but the fry need very small live foods and the adults should be removed or separated.

Good to know

Despite its small size it is a fin nipper and often aggressive towards its own kind, so it rarely suits community tanks. It is often sold mixed with similar red-eye puffers such as Carinotetraodon borneensis, so check identity before buying.