All fish / Tetraodontidae

Sabah Puffer

Dichotomyctere sabahensis

Also known as sabah pufferfish, sabah puffer fish, tetraodon sabahensis, pseudo nigroviridis, tetraodon nigroviridis sabah, borneo puffer, ikan buntal, サバパファー, buntal, 沙巴河豚

A small, rounded puffer with a greenish to yellow back covered in dark spots and a white belly, closely resembling the green spotted puffer. It is kept for its lively, inquisitive behaviour and its ability to recognise its owner.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Aggressive

Adult size

10 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

7.5 to 8.5

Smallest tank

150 litres

Keep as

Best kept singly; it bites tankmates

Diet

Carnivore: snails, shrimp, mussel, bloodworm and other meaty frozen foods

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

8 to 10 years

Water

Brackish

Wild range

Northern Borneo (Sabah, Malaysia; Brunei)

Breeding

Not reliably bred in aquariums; like its relatives it is thought to lay eggs on hard surfaces with the male guarding them. Captive spawning reports are very rare.

Good to know

Often sold as a freshwater fish but it lives in brackish estuaries and does best in brackish water as an adult. It has strong teeth that need hard-shelled foods to stay worn, and it will nip fins of most tankmates.