All fish / Tetraodontidae

South American Puffer

Colomesus asellus

Also known as amazon puffer, brazilian puffer, asell's puffer, peruvian puffer, bumblebee puffer, south american pufferfish, colomesus puffer, ปักเป้าอเมซอน, アマゾンパファー, 南米淡水フグ, buntal amazon, 南美河豚

A small puffer with a yellowish back crossed by broad black bands and a white belly, ending in a squared-off tail. It lives fully in fresh water, unlike many puffers sold as freshwater, and is kept for its active, curious nature and fondness for exploring the tank as a group.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

8 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

6 to 7.5

Smallest tank

120 litres

Keep as

Group of 4 or more in a spacious tank

Diet

Carnivore: snails, bloodworm, brine shrimp, mysis, small crustaceans

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 10 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Amazon and Orinoco basins: Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana

Breeding

It has seldom been bred in home aquariums, and there is little reliable information on how it spawns in captivity. Nearly all fish in the trade are caught in the wild.

Good to know

It nips fins and suits only a tank kept just for this species or one with fast, robust tankmates. Its teeth keep growing, so feed snails or other hard-shelled foods regularly to wear them down.